The Master of Sorrow
by Bloody-Ban
Summary: Crooked SHUSH agent Jake Mallard begins to work his manipulative charm on Darkwing Duck while a figure from his past returns and joins forces with the vengeful Public Enemy.
1. Homecoming

Author's note: After many requests to write a sequel from reviewers of my last two fics, I decided to finally give it a shot. This story takes place several years after my fiction "The Path of Consequence" left off and explores the relationships between Darkwing, Jacob (DW's father), Negaduck, and Jake (Negs's father). There will be many scenes within the story that are based off of an RPG with the very talented DarkwingPsycho, so many thanks to her for her creative contribution.

Also, you may not fully comprehend the main elements of this story unless you read "The Path of Consequence" or DarkwingPsycho's "The Sins of the Father." They are both good reads so I don't think it will be a waste of your time 

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Darkwing Duck, Negaduck, Gosalyn, Launchpad, Morgana, and J. Gander are all ©Disney. Jacob Mallard is ©Amanda Rohrssen. Jake Mallard is ©Rachel Faraday (me).

_You can't hurt me this time,  
I'm prepared for anything  
You won't get that close now  
I'm protected from your lies  
Knowing what you will bring me  
Knowing that I want no more_

When the snow was falling  
I could see your footprints  
Right outside my window  
You were watching all night long  
Standing there in the shadows  
Whispering my name in your spell

Won't fall again  
I won't be fooled  
This time my heart is strong  
You are standing right before  
The master of sorrow

Won't feel again  
Suffer no more  
This time my heart is cold  
You are standing right before  
The master of sorrow

Feels like yesterday now  
I can see it all so clear  
You were closer whispering  
It's you and me that count right now  
I thought that the voice I was hearing  
Was so completely sincere  
Years have passed since that day  
My mourning has come to an end  
I know you're still out there  
Regretting the choices that you made  
I won't follow you this time  
I'll give you the pain that was mine

Won't fall again  
I won't be fooled  
This time my heart is strong  
You are standing right before  
The master of sorrow

Won't feel again  
Suffer no more  
This time my heart is cold  
You are standing right before  
The master of sorrow

"Master of Sorrow: (c)Allen Lande

**Chapter One**

The city streets of Saint Canard were quiet. Only a few stragglers were out, the honest ones making their way home at this time of night on a Tuesday. It seemed that the citizens would sleep well this evening.

SCREEEEEEEEEEECH!!!!

The sound of burning rubber against the pavement pierced the air which sent stray cats diving into trashcans. Seconds later, a devilishly detailed motorcycle painted in red, yellow, and black raced around the corner. And then another motorcycle followed in suit, this one donned in darker colors of the city's vigilante.

"Come back here, you maniacal miscreant!!" Darkwing yelled forward at his nemesis as the wing violently whipped his feathers.

Negaduck rolled his eyes as he did just the opposite and stepped on the gas. "Does that idiot actually think I'm ever going to listen to him??" he groaned to himself.

The villain began to pull further away from the Ratcatcher. But Darkwing only smiled knowingly. "Have it your way, Negaduck! We'll do this the hard way…" he growled eagerly.

Darkwing pushed a button the dash of the Ratcatcher. From the top of the motorcycles top fender, a grappling launcher appeared, and was aimed right for Negaduck's Troublemaker. The grappling hook shot forward through the air, trailing a steel-link chain. The hook decisively hit its mark and latched onto the back bumper of Negaduck's bike.

Negaduck glanced over his shoulder in surprise. "Hey!!" He scowled evilly back at his double. "Have it your way, Duck!"

Now Negaduck floored the gas to the Troublemaker, and the bike sped forward at an intense speed. Darkwing's eyes went wide as he squeaked, "Uh oh…."

The Troublemaker pulled the Ratcatcher and its passenger relentlessly through the city streets, barreling around sharp corners and hitting every open pothole around the way. Negaduck laughed wickedly, listening to the shouts and grunts coming from his enemy. "Had enough, Dumbwing??"

Darkwing shook his head clear and gave the villain a determined glare. "Ha! I have not yet begun to drive, Negaduck!"

With those words, Darkwing slammed on the brakes, bringing the Ratcatcher to a stop and the Troublemaker to an abrupt one.

"Huh?!?" Negaduck exclaimed. His bike was jerked backward, and unfortunately for him, he went airborn and sailed through the air. "YAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" He disappeared into a dark side-street alley and there was a loud crash as he landed into a pile of trashcans.

Darkwing stopped in front of the alley and dusted his sleeves in a casual yet cocky manner. "Yep, yep yep yep. Nothing like foiling a Public Enemy before bedtime." He hopped off of the Ratcatcher and drew his trust gasgun from his cape. Creeping alongside the brick wall of the building toward the alley, he kept his hearing sharp and listened for any movement. He heard nothing, and jumped into the mouth of the alley with his gasgun drawn.

"Alright, Negaduck!" he shouted into the dark alley, keeping his eyes peeled for any movement. "Show your treacherous tail so I can haul it off to the State Pen! YIPES!!!"

Darkwing ducked just as the lid to a garbage can sailed at him. He stood up with a smug grin. "Ha! Missed!"

CLANG!!!

The second lid hit Darkwing square in the face, his bill indenting the tin. The hero staggered from the force of the impact and struggled to pull his face free. Meanwhile, Negaduck was climbing up the fire escape ladder that scaled the building to make his escape.

"Not tonight, Darkwing! I have other plans!" Negaduck sneered down at his double and let out a wicked laugh that reverberated off of the walls and echoed through the night sky.

"Hey! Get me outta here!" Darkwing shouted in a muffled voice as he continued to tug at the trashcan lid. Finally, he managed to pull himself free, but when he looked around he saw that Negaduck had fled and was nowhere in sight.

"Eheh, call it a head start, Negaduck!" Darkwing called with a sheepish laugh. "I'll find you soon enough, you hellbound hooligan!"

Flashing red and blue lights began to light up the alley. Darkwing turned to see police cars come to a stop near the Ratcatcher. He took a minute to brush the wrinkles out of his cape and adjust his fedora. If he was lucky, a news van would show up as well. With his head held high, he strolled out of the alley to face the police officers who were filing out of their cars.

"Never fear, officers! I, Darkwing Duck, have everything under control!"

A lieutenant eyed him skeptically. "Oh really? Where's Negaduck?"

Darkwing instantly deflated and tugged at his turtleneck. "Well, eheh, I don't have him in cuffs, per say…BUT I assure you he will not be terrorizing the city again tonight!"

The police officers raised brows at one another, some even rolled his eyes.

Darkwing's humiliating moment was saved when a black sedan pulled up to the scene. Everyone turned to see the newcomer, and knowing immediately who was inside the car, the officers pulled back respectfully.

The driver's side door opened, and out stepped a tall, black suited mallard. Easily in his early fifties, his face portrayed years of expertise and knowledge. His green eyes were just as sharp as his mind, and he held himself in a way that his presence demanded him respect. The fact that he bore a physical resemblance to Drake Mallard was no coincidence

"Alright, gentleman. What have we got here?" his deep, growly voice demanded. Then his eyes fell upon the purple clad mallard. "Ah, Darkwing Duck."

"Agent Mallard," Darkwing greeted in an up-beat tone. Agent Jake Mallard of SHUSH was the only agent Darkwing Duck was able to cooperate and work with respectfully.

"Did you manage to apprehend him?"

"No. That malevolent masked mallard managed to slip away," Darkwing informed disappointedly.

Jake exhaled with a heave of his shoulders. "Well, in the grand scheme of things we were successful. Although Negaduck shut off all power to the Saint Canard Memorial Hospital, you were able to put him on the run before he was able to destroy the back-up generators. A job well done, Darkwing. Director Hooter will be pleased along with me."

Darkwing puffed up his chest proudly. He reveled in any praise, especially from Jake Mallard who he had come to admire over the past year. "Don't mention it, Agent Mallard. It's all in a day's work for Darkwing Duck!"

Jake kept an even expression, but on the inside he was rolling his eyes.

Meanwhile, a pair of masked eyes watched the scene from atop a neighboring building where he was safely shrouded in the shadows. Negaduck scowled hatefully as he watched Jake give Darkwing Duck a congratulatory pat on the back and lead him away from the crowd of officers, no doubt to discuss the night's events. The sight made his blood boil inside.

"Where's a puppy to kick when I need one?" Negaduck growled loudly to himself. He scoffed as he watched Jake and Darkwing continue to converse. "That's it, Dimwit. Continue to kiss that fraud's ass. It'll make it an easier shot for me when I take the BOTH of you out…"

With a dramatic flourish of his black cape, Negaduck turned and disappeared into the darkness.

***

A stoic figure stood on a hill just outside of Saint Canard near the Audubon Bay Bridge, overlooking the city whose lights twinkled in the night sky. It had been fifteen years since he had laid eyes on this city he had once called home. Everything he had at one time had been in this city. His whole life, his whole world. But no longer. He knew he would not find his past in Saint Canard. He was there to seek his revenge.

His coal black eyes were shadowed by his strong brow, taking in the familiarities and the differenced of Saint Canard. His left hand gripped the top of his cane, a 'gift' from the man who attempted to end his life fifteen years ago. But not even a bum leg was going to stop him from carrying out his revenge against the one who destroyed him. Nothing would.

First, he needed to seek out another mallard. His cold, dead eyes shifted in the direction of the city's notorious 'Bad Part of Town.'


	2. Alliances

**Author's Note: **And onto the exciting second chapter! My personal favorite relationship within the DWD fandom has been the one between Negaduck and Jacob Mallard, so I really enjoyed writing out where and how it all started. I hope you enjoy this installment, and please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas in reviews.

**Disclaimer: **Jacob Mallard is ©Amanda Rohrssen. Jake Mallard is ©Rachel Faraday (me). Darkwing Duck, Negaduck, Agent Gryzlikoff, and J. Gander Hooter are ©Disney.

**Chapter Two**

The inside of the Old Haunt was crawling with its usual crowd. The typical low-life. The gangster wannabe. The brutish thugs. The occasional super villain. It was just another night in the Bad Part of Town. The ruff bartender filled a glass mug with foamy beer and slid it forcefully down the bar into an awaiting open fist.

Above the bar and off to the side was an old, faded painting of a sharp young mallard with dark eyes that glittered and feathers slicked back atop his head. His stare pierced through the thin layer of cobwebs that covered the framed painting and his suit still looked crisp and pressed. Much of Saint Canard had changed since the painting had been hung on that wall. The Old Haunt was no exception. He used to frequent the Haunt when it was a bar for the hard-working slaves of the city who wished to drink away the day's stresses. This painting had served as a reminder of a Saint Canard legend. However, only Old Haunt veterans knew of or acknowledged this old legend who continued to fade away with each passing year.

But that legend was about to resurface, and his first stop would be his old haunt.

No one seemed to notice the saloon-style doors swing open. The old mallard took one step inside, and then stopped to survey The Old Haunt. The thugs and criminals continued their game of darts and arm wrestling, not giving him the slightest glance. But Jacob Mallard wasn't here to see any of them. The villain he sought was nowhere in sight.

Jacob sauntered inside, his slight limp and clean suit finally catching a few curious glances as he made his way over to the bar. He took a seat on a vacant stool, and he couldn't help but give the faintest smirk when his eyes found the painting still hanging on the wall.

A shadow suddenly loomed over him.

"Humph. Ya know, I think you may be in the wrong place, pal," the robust bartender suggested in a deep voice.

Jacob remained cool, confident, and considerate. "I beg to differ. I am in the right place," he said in his deep, growly voice. He leaned forward and now spoke a bit more quietly. "I'm looking for Negaduck."

The barkeep let out a deep laugh, his foul breath stinging Jacob's eyes. "Why? Not lookin' to wait for old age to do ya in, old timer?"

"It's a business matter," Jacob replied, dismissing his jeering remark and keeping to his point.

"Oh yeah? Well, Negaduck don't come in here much. And it's just as well for you, pal. The only business he'll do with you will require you to pay with yer life."

Jacob only gave a sly, knowing smile. "I'm going to make him an offer he won't be able to refuse. Now, where is he hiding these days?"

The bartender shrugged his shoulders while he cleaned a glass with a rather dirty rag. "From what I hear, he's been up that abandoned asylum on Oak Hill. But yer signing your own death warrant by going up there, pal."

The old mallard smirked. "Aw, showing concern? Better not let anyone hear you say such a thing in this part of town. They may mistake you for the large, cuddly type."

"Hey!" the burly canine snarled defensive. He was done being what one would consider 'friendly' in the Old Haunt. "I'll show you 'cuddly'!"

He hurled the glass mug at Jacob who, even in his older years, was able to duck in time. The glass sailed over him and hit the back of a large biker pig's had, shattering into pieces. He spun around with an enraged glare on his face and eyed the guilty bartender. A chair was thrown across the room in retaliation, which also missed its mark and struck a bystander.

Within seconds, the Old Haunt had erupted into an all-out brawl. Fists were flying and foul words were shouted. And while crashing could be heard, Jacob Mallard calmly strutted out of the bar, unscathed, and vainly brushed some stray dust from the shoulder of his gray suit.

"Well, that was quite refreshing," he smirked to himself. Jacob tapped his fingers pensively on the handle of his cane.

He was well on his way to revenge. It would take patience and cunning. It surely would be dangerous. But to Jacob Mallard, it did not matter the price. He would hunt down Jake Mallard and make him pay. He would make him suffer the way he had suffered. But Jacob knew that his double would not go down easy. Jake was smart, deceitful, and had power on his side. So Jacob would need to play every card he had in order to get back at Jake. And there was one duck that could complete his deck of arsenal.

With his shoulders squared, he strutted away from the Old Haunt and toward the outskirts of Saint Canard.

*****

"You wanted to see me, Director Hooter?"

Jake Mallard stood in front of SHUSH's Director J. Gander Hooter, who was sitting behind his ornate desk. Despite not knowing the reason for standing in his office that morning, he kept a stoic expression.

"Ah, Agent Mallard. Thank you for coming in at such short notice. I understand that you have been quite busy as of late," J. Gander greeted in a friendly tone.

"It's not a problem, sir," Jake responded, sensing that this meeting would be in his favor. "What can I do for you?"

"Indeed. It is a matter of what you can do for me." J. Gander leaned forward over his desk, his hands clasped in a loose fist. "As you know, Chief Agent Gryzlikoff has been on a temporary duty assignment at our legal attaché in Moscow. Originally, it was intended to be 30 days, but it appears that his assistance is further needed for an indefinite amount of time. And because we do not know how much longer he will be needed, we need a capable agent to oversee operations here in the meantime."

J. Gander now stood up and rounded his desk. "This is where you come in, Agent Mallard. I am assigning you as Acting Chief Agent of SHUSH."

Jake could feel his ego double in size and he managed to suppress the smug smile fighting to spread across his bill. "Of course, J. Gander. I'm at the disposal of the needs of SHUSH. I would be honored to act in Chief Agent Gryzlikoff's absence," he said in a humble voice.

But Jake was determined to do more than merely be a stand-in for Agent Gryzlikoff. He was determined to out-perform the long-lasting Chief Agent and steal the position right from under his nose.

"Excellent. That takes care of the first matter of business," J. Gander said as he clapped his hands together. "Now, for—"

"I am the terror that FLAPS in the night!"

Both heads turned to see the cloud of blue smoke billowing from atop J. Gander's desk.

"I am the in-grown toenail on the foot of crime! I am Darkwiiiiiing Duck!!" The smoke cleared to reveal Darkwing striking one of his trademark poses, despite receiving little reaction from his audience of two.

"Darkwing Duck. So glad you could join us," J. Gander greeted as the caped crusader hopped down from the desk.

"Indeed," Jake added.

"So, J. Gander," Darkwing began with a smug air. "What's the case this time? Is FOWL concocting another scheme toward world domination?"

"No such pressing matter, Darkwing," the SHUSH director waved away. The hero visibly deflated. "I asked you here to share in a recent change in the ranks. I have just announced the appointment of Agent Mallard here to Acting Chief Agent."

Darkwing looked curiously in Jake's direction. "Really?"

Jake only replied with the slightest smug smile.

"This comes in the indefinite assignment of Chief Agent Gryzlikoff to our Moscow office," J. Gander continued to explain. "Agent Mallard's work speaks for itself and I have full confidence in his ability to carry out the tasks required of the Chief Agent." He looked in Darkwing's direction. "Your role in SHUSH's operations came as an influence in my decision, Darkwing. Your assistance in many of our cases is crucial, as is your ability to work with our agents. You and Agent Mallard have collaborated successfully in the past, which I consider to be important to SHUSH's continued success."

Darkwing puffed out his chest with pride. "Yep, yep, yep, yep! No need to fear, J. Gander. With Agent Mallard leading your agents and with Darkwing Duck at his side, Saint Canard will be in safe hands!"

"Well said, Darkwing," J. Gander verbally applauded as he made his way back toward his desk. "Now, if you gentlemen would excuse me, I need to make this official by putting it in writing."

"I was hoping to have a word with Agent Mallard, anyway," Darkwing said as he and Jake excused themselves from J. Gander's office.

Once in the hall, Darkwing tried to contain his excitement while he accompanied Jake back to his own office. The hero looked up to Jake and admired his dedication to SHUSH. He secretly looked to him as a father-figure he didn't have for most of his life. Darkwing did not know much of his biological father, Jacob Mallard, who had disappeared when he was still a child. As a young Drake Mallard, he wanted to believe that his father had died admirably. In the line of duty. And Jacob's disappearance was only the beginning of a downward spiral of tragic events for Drake. His older sister was eventually killed in a horrible accident, and his mother took her own life, leaving Drake as the sole survivor. He never found out what had happened to his father, but held on to the idea that he had perished.

Darkwing felt that Jake Mallard had somehow filled the void that his own father had left him years ago. Jake was also dedicated to SHUSH and was the only agent who seemed to work well with the crime fighter. And when the agent would hand him a compliment, Darkwing felt the pride every son wishes to feel. He respected Jake, and looked up to him as the father he never had.

But subtly, of course. Darkwing knew that Jake was the professional and no-nonsense type. He didn't want to put a dent in his or the agent's reputation.

"So, looks like we'll be working on more cases together," Darkwing said as they continued down the hallway.

"Indeed," Jake replied evenly. "I'll admit that I didn't see that coming."

"Well, I'll say that J. Gander made a good decision! Besides, you're much better to work with than old Gryzz," Darkwing sneered with a disgusted emphasis on Gryzlikoff's name.

Jake humored him with a light smirk. "Well, don't celebrate just yet, Darkwing. This is only temporary until Agent Gryzlikoff's return. And I intend on being just as hard-assed, if not more so. Think you'll be able to handle that?" he asked him challengingly.

"Pah! I can take anything you dish out, Agent Mallard. No need to worry about Darkwing Duck!"

"Thatta boy. Now, any news on our boy, Negaduck?" Jake asked him, changing the subject.

Darkwing narrowed his eyes, as he did every time his double came to mind. "Not a thing since the other night! I'm still trying to get a lead as to whether he is just in a lull or planning something diabolical."

Jake nodded as they came to his office. He opened the door and stepped inside. "Unfortunately, with a character like Negaduck, we'll have to wait for him to make a move."

"Well, when he does, I'll be there to personally handcuff him and bring him to SHUSH with a big red bow on his head," Darkwing said, already grinning at the humiliating image of his nemesis in said predicament.

"Easy, kid," Jake cautioned as he sat down behind his desk. "As much as I'd like to see that for myself, we still have certain expectations and reputations to uphold. The both of us."

The hero shrugged, trying to cover up his disappointment. "Well, yeah, I guess you're right."

There was a pause as Jake opened a file that needed his attention. As he read it over, he added, "Bringing him in a gift basket would be just fine."

Darkwing's eager grin returned to his bill. "Consider it done, Agent Mallard."

He gave Jake a salute, then grabbed the corner of his cape and enveloped himself inside it before disappearing his trademark blue smoke.

*****

The vast, old structure of the asylum that sat atop the hill on the outskirts of Saint Canard loomed over the Audubon Bay. Once a lock-away for the mentally unsound, it had since been condemned for years, yet the screams could still be heard echoing through the halls. The eeriness would never leave the walls, just as the hopeless souls never left. It truly was the definition of an unsettling, haunting place that struck fear into those who nearly passed by.

This is precisely why he liked it here. This was his sanctuary. His hideaway. No one would dare even stumble across this place.

Or so he thought.

Negaduck kicked in the old front door of the asylum, which banged loudly against the wall. The reverberating sound traveled through the hallways and reached the ears of his two trusty Dobermans. They barked and could be heard stampeding down the hall to great their master, who was less than thrilled to see them.

"Get down, you stupid mutts!" Negaduck barked back as they eagerly jumped at him.

The two dogs followed the masked mallard as he stormed down the faded white halls. He stepped into a room that had once served as the asylum warden's office, which contained a desk and a plush leather chair. The bookshelves had been altered into racks for his arsenal. On the wall were several headshots of those he hated. There were many more of Jake Mallard and, of course, Darkwing Duck.

Negaduck stepped over to the window that faced Saint Canard. The lights sparkled against the night sky. He placed his hands firmly on the window sill and leaned forward, glaring out at the city.

"Darkwing Duck and Jake Mallard. Dimwit and Bastard of the Year. How you torment me so," he snarled aloud to himself. "And NOW they're showing up at my heists together?? One was bad enough, but now I have to put up with the both of them simultaneously." He groaned and rubbed his temples. "I can already feel the migraine settling in…."

"You might want to consider taking something for that."

Negaduck's head perked up at the voice, as did the ears of the canines that had been lying on the floor. He spun around to see the outline of a mallard standing in the doorframe.

"I'm sure there is a 24-hour pharmacy you could hold up at this time of night," the figure added.

The two dogs rose to their feet and bared their glistening teeth, the hairs on the back of their necks standing on end. At first, Negaduck's mind jumped to the conclusion that Jake had found his hideout. Still, the voice was similar, but not the same. And this intruder carried a cane in one hand.

"Who in the Hell are you?!" Negaduck demanded.

Jacob took a few steps forward into the room, the dim light now revealing his face. "Not a friend, but not an enemy. But we'll get to that in a minute."

"Oh yeah?? Well, in the meantime, allow me to show you what I do to uninvited guests!" He pointed toward Jacob and then demanded of his dogs, "Get 'im, boys!"

The Dobermans began to stalk towards Jacob. But the old mallard didn't flinch, not seeming to bethel eats bit intimidated by the vicious dogs. Instead, he suddenly pulled out a rather large flank steak and waved it enticingly in front of them. Their expressions immediately went from fierce to excitement.

"Here you go, pups," Jacob said calmly and hurled the steak out of the room behind him. The dogs barreled past him, forgetting about their master's orders.

Negaduck was left with a dumbfounded expression. "Hey!!"

Jacob looked back at him with a smug expression. "Now, can we talk?"

In a flash, Negaduck had leapt over the desk and had the barrel of a pistol shoved in Jacob's face. He glared dangerously up at him and grabbed the tie around his neck to pull him closer. "You wanna talk? Fine. Tell me what you want written on your tombstone!"

Unfazed, Jacob stared coolly back at the villain as if there wasn't a gun aimed between his eyes. "It's a mystery as to why you don't have any friends."

Then, demonstrating that his skills were as sharp as ever, one of Jacob's hands shot up and grabbed Negaduck's wrist, pulling it to the side and away from his head. He twisted hard, sending a wave of sharp pain up Negaduck's arm and forcing him to drop the weapon. Jacob then spun him around and thrust him face-first up against the wall. The masked mallard growled loudly and violently tried to throw Jacob off of him, but the former SHUSH agent still possessed admirable strength for his age.

"Now, are you going to be a good boy and calm down?" Jacob sneered into the enraged duck's ear.

"Nooooo!" Negaduck jeered back in a taunting, childish tone. He thrust one of his webbed feet back and jammed it into the Jacob's Achilles' Heel--his bum leg.

He howled in pain, momentarily relinquishing his hold on Negaduck who spun around and grabbed him by the lapels of his suit. Jacob was now staring into the masked mallard's enraged blue eyes.

"I'm gonna send you to the convalescent home where you belong, old man!" Negaduck roared and then hurled him into the air. Jacob hit the top of the desk and tumbled onto the floor on the other side. There was the loud 'thump!' and then silence.

Negaduck grinned triumphantly, convinced that he had knocked the older duck unconscious. He marched across the room and rounded the desk, expecting to find Jacob's form lying motionless on the floor. But when he looked down, there was nothing. Negaduck blinked with a baffled expression on his face. "Huh??" Then the thought hit him. "Uh oh…."

The crescent-shaped top of Jacob's cane suddenly hooked Negaduck around the ankle and pulled his feet out from under him. He hit the floor on his back and let out a frustrated groan. "I'm getting my tail handed to me by a freakin' senior citizen…."

Then his eyes fell upon the gun that had landed on the floor. It was just out of his reach several feet away. Negaduck jumped to his knees and made a scramble for the gun. He leapt for it, only to be yanked back by Jacob grabbing him around the ankle. But his fingers managed to close around the handle, and Negaduck turned and pointed the gun back at Jacob, who quickly let go of him.

Negaduck let out a low chuckle as he rose to his feet and stood over Jacob, clearly having the upper-hand. "You messed with the wrong duck, you old coot. Now I'm gonna blow your brains out, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

Jacob narrowed his eyes defiantly. Then he kicked his foot up and struck Negaduck mercilessly right in the groin.

Negaduck's eyes bulged. His knees locked together and he squeaked, "Except for maybe that….!" He fell to his knees and toppled over onto his side.

As the villain writhed in pain, Jacob rose to his feet, gathering his cane in one hand and rolling his shoulders back into place. He looked down at Negaduck with a stoic expression as if he had just walked in the door. "Now you're going to listen to me, Negaduck. I didn't come here to bruise your ego. I've come with a proposition that I think will only benefit you." He picked the gun up off of the floor, just in case the villain tried to turn the tables once more. Jacob then decided to cut to the chase as he stepped over to the desk. "I'm here because of Jake Mallard."

Still feeling his manhood pulsing in pain, Negaduck managed to pull himself to his knees and slowly rise to his feet. He looked toward Jacob questionably, his curiosity now perked. "Yeah? So what?"

Jacob leaned back against the desk and stared back at him. His black eyes seemed to suddenly take on a deep sense of spite and hatred. "So, I have a score to settle with Agent Mallard. We go way back. He's responsible for a lot of anguish in my life, and is responsible for this," he sneered and motioned to his handicapped leg. "I'm Jacob Mallard. I used to be an agent at SHUSH until he tried to kill me."

"I know who you are," Negaduck snapped as he finally regained himself and straightened the red fedora on his head. "You're his double. Jake is you from the Negaverse. He ruined your life. I get it. And I don't care. But what I don't get is why you're HERE in MY hideout."

"I told you: I have a proposition for you, boy. I want Jake Mallard to pay for what he's done to me. I've planned his demise in my head for years. But I know it will be easier said than done, and I don't dare underestimate him if could risk the loss of my revenge." Jacob eyed him. "I need you to ensure he meets an untimely, and painful, end."

Despite wanting the same fate for Jake, Negaduck remained indignant, and scoffed. "What makes you think I'M the duck for the job, huh? What makes you think I would even want to help you??"

"Because you initially thought it was him when I stepped through that door. I could see the pure hate and rage from across the room." Jacob set the gun down on the desk and leaned forward a little. He locked eyes with him, and now Jacob's eyes were a bit softer. "I know he's your father, Negaduck. And I know there's a reason behind your pure hatred toward him. You want him dead just as much as I do. Neither of us seems to be able to accomplish that on our own, but together we can finally bring him down. We can finally make him pay…"

Negaduck stared at him for several long seconds. The tense emotion in the room was so thick that he could cut through it with a machete. Finally, he broke the stare and stormed away a few steps. "So you wanna join forces with me to bring down Jake Mallard, huh? You, an ex-SHUSH agent, working with ME, the city's public enemy?" To prove his point, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why should I trust you?"

But Jacob only returned a cunning smile. "You can't. But then again, why should I trust YOU?"

There was a drawn-out pause. Negaduck folded his arms across his chest and smirked. Jacob had hit the nail on the head.

The villain gave his reply in a deep growl.

"I'm listening…"


	3. Face to Face

**Author's Note: **It's been over a month since I've updated--I'm sorry! The holidays are among us, so I've been doing some traveling and have plans for more in the near future. But I hope to be better about updating within the weeks to come.

Again, this chapter may not make a lot of sense unless you've read The Path of Consequence. Sorry that there is no Darkwing Duck or Negaduck in this installment, but this chapter is important in establishing the rivalry between two original characters. I hope everyone has a great and safe holiday season and thank you for reading!

**Disclaimer: **J. Gander Hooter and SHUSH are ©Disney. Jacob Mallard is ©Amanda Rohrssen and Jake Mallard is ©Me.

**Chapter Three**

The classic yellow-painted Jaguar rolled up to the curb in front of SHUSH Headquarters in Saint Canard's Federal District. Jacob stepped out of his car and onto the sidewalk. For a moment he just stood there and took in the sight. The wide stairway to the entrance and the tall, ornate pillars loomed overhead and sent a strange shiver down his spine. He never thought he would return to this place again. This place that he had once found more familiar than his own home. SHUSH used to be his welcomed sanctuary. But now it seemed to fill him with a complex combination of excitement and dread.

But Jacob was there with specific purpose. He knew that he would find his enemy here, within the confines that were once his domain. First, he would pay a little visit to an old friend of his whom he hadn't seen in decades. Jacob took in a deep breath, pulling his shoulders back and standing tall, and made his way up the stairs to the front door.

The SHUSH lobby was a bustle of activity between visitors, fifth grade classes on a field trip, and agents carrying out their business. And despite keeping his eyes directed forward, Jacob could feel the curious stares of other SHUSH employees on him. Jacob Mallard was a legend of the institution. Stories of his adventures were told to new agents during their training, and old photos of the decorated SHUSH agent were the only images that had survived since his disappearance years ago. The awe resonating throughout the vast lobby made Jacob smile inwardly to himself.

He approached the visitor's desk and waited for the busy receptionist to look up and catch his eye. She was a young one, probably no more than twenty-five. This would explain why she didn't seem to recognize the prominent figure on front of her when she looked up.

"Yes, sir?" she asked in a rigidly professional voice. "How can I help you?"

"I believe you can, young lady," Jacob said. He leaned forward and gave her his notorious suave smile that was known to melt any woman's heart. "I'm here to see Director Hooter."

Her brow furrowed. This was an uncommon request, and even she had yet to meet the Director herself. "Oh? I'm sorry, sir. But no one sees the Director unless—"

"I'm an old friend of his," Jacob cut her off coolly.

"Oh. Um…okay," she replied skeptically. She picked up a pen. "And your name?"

"Mallard," he answered, and couldn't help but run his fingers through the slicked back feathers on his head. "Jacob Mallard."

The receptionist scribbled down his name, then got up from her seat to disappear into the back. Jacob waited patiently, knowing that the young girl was asking her superiors whether she should have him escorted out or grant him access. In the meantime, he took in his surroundings, immediately noticing how much SHUSH has changed and stayed the same since he had last stepped foot inside nearly two decades ago. Part of him felt saddened, realizing how much he had missed during his absence. SHUSH had possessed the majority of his adult life and had sometimes been more his home than anywhere else. It was like returning home to a family that had moved on without him.

He was jerked out of his reverie when the thick security door leading to the back hallways opened. A young agent held the door open. "Sir? You can come back."

Jacob followed him inside, a bit perturbed that he needed an escort. Another sign that things were no longer the same. They came to a stop in front of a closed office door. The placard beside the door read "John Gander Hooter: Director."

The agent nodded to him. "You can go on in."

Jacob waited for the young agent to leave before making his grand entrance. He took a deep breath to steady himself, surprised that he was so nervous to see his old friend again. Would John even remember him? Did SHUSH ever find out what had caused his disappearance? There was only one way for him to find out.

The door to the Director's grand office opened silently. Jacob stepped inside, not making a sound so that he could get a glimpse at the aged goose sitting behind the large desk. Jacob smirked at the sight of his friend buried in paperwork. It had always been a fitting place for John even in his younger years. While Jacob had always been itching to get out I the field and perform heroic agent duties. John had always been content to stay in the office, paying attention to every detail on paper.

And his hearing must be fading, because he had yet to acknowledge the former agent's presence.

"Well, well. Director Hooter. I must admit that I am not surprised to see you in here, buried in paperwork."

J. Gander looked up. His tiny eyes blinked a few times and left him in a wide-eyed stare. It was as if he was seeing a ghost, and the normally articulate SHUSH Director was at a loss for words. For a moment, there was a flashback to when he had last seen his best friend. The morning he left on a bogus mission from which he never returned. Until now.

"Jacob? It can't be…" J. Gander stepped down from his chair and rounded his desk, cautiously approaching him. There was still a look of pure bewilderment.

But Jacob flashed a boyish grin--an old trademark of his. "Careful, John. Don't have a heart attack on me now."

It was then that J. Gander knew that it was his friend standing in front of him. "Bless the Saints, Jacob! You're alive!" He couldn't help but give him a gentlemanly embrace. "I can't believe it!"

"Well, you'd best believe it, John," Jacob said, accompanied by a proud chuckle. "You should know that it takes a lot to get rid of one of SHUSH's legends."

J. Gander gave a subtle smirk. Jacob's ego was still intact and as big as ever. "But where have you been hiding out all of these years?"

Jacob furrowed his brows. He couldn't tell him the truth. Not yet. So he stepped carefully around his answer. "I was…indisposed against my will. I'm not at liberty to disclose everything at this point, John. But I was unable to return until now. Believe me, I would have been back sooner to…."

He trailed off, but the sentence didn't need to be finished for J. Gander to know what Jacob had wanted to say. The SHUSH Director knew about the unfortunate circumstances of Jacob's family. Still, it felt as if something needed to be said.

"Jacob. I'm so sorry about…." J. Gander began cautiously. "I'm truly sorry about your family. About Gail."

There seemed to be no reaction from Jacob's stoic face. His expression was a blank one in response to J. Gander's remark. Over the past two decades, he had become numb on the outside to his emotions of despair and loneliness. It had become his cover to hide the turmoil still felt inside. And it was necessary to seek his revenge.

"As am I, John," Jacob replied somberly, but that was all he said on the matter. The topic was one which he preferred not to revisit with someone else, and he was quick to dodge it. "But I am pleased to see SHUSH is still up and running with you at the helm. I will admit that I'm not surprised."

"Yes, well, you were always the action-hungry agent, Jacob. Not me. I feel I have found my place at SHUSH." J. Gander returned to his desk chair and eyed him curiously. "You are technically still on SHUSH's roster, Jacob. I trust you are looking to rejoin the ranks? That is, you believe yourself not to be too rusty." He cast a glance to the cane in Jacob's left hand.

Jacob gave a deep chuckle. "I assure you, old friend, that my skills are as sharp as ever. And I would be humbled to serve under you at SHUSH."

The truth of the matter was that Jacob had no intention of legitimately rejoining SHUSH. The real reason for his return to his organization was to get as close to his enemy as possible. For he knew that Jake Mallard was now an agent, and Jacob would need to get as close as possible to finally reap his revenge upon his greatest enemy.

"Wonderful!" J. Gander explained. He looked at Jacob with a gentle smile, a sparkle in his eyes. "You were always an excellent agent, Jacob. One of the best in the history of SHUSH. I'm elated not only to see you still alive and well, but also to have you back here." He paused for a moment and then piped up, "And to begin, I'd like you to meet my Chief Agent." He pressed the button of the intercom on his desk. "Miss Maybill, please summon the Chief Agent to my office." J. Gander looked back to his old comrade. "He is only acting in the position while Chief Agent Gryzlikoff is on an extended assignment in Moscow."

"Surely you don't believe that I need to be babysat by a superior agent, John," Jacob said, having no real interest in meeting the Chief Agent.

"Just the formalities, Jacob. Besides, you have been out of SHUSH for many years. Perhaps you can pick up a few things from him in order to get a handle on how things operate in the present as opposed in the past."

"I don't need a tutor," Jacob insisted, his ego deflating ever so slightly and feeling insulted.

J. Gander began to say something else but he stopped and looked past Jacob to someone who had just appeared in the doorway. "Ah, here we are. Do come in. Jacob, allow me to introduce you to Jake Mallard, my acting Chief Agent."

Jacob was staring over his shoulder at the well-suited agent in the doorway. Their cold, calculating eyes met, and for that instant it seemed as if everything else around them had disappeared. Jacob could see the wicked, callousness within his double's eyes. Those heartless green irises were the last thing Jacob remembered seeing that fateful night when he almost lost his life. Those eyes have haunted his dreams every night since. And as Jake slowly, calmly, stepped inside, he did not break his gaze for an instant. Jacob's cold, dead black eyes bore into him. They were full of rage and hatred. They sought cold-blooded revenge.

The two mallards regarded one another silently for a moment, keeping a calm exterior as to not let J. Gander know of their eternal rivalry.

"I suppose I needn't point out the physical similarities, not to mention the shared name," J. Gander's voice interrupted the stare-down the two mallards were giving one another. "I don't suppose the two of you are somehow related…?" he questioned carefully. He recalled Jacob having a brother at one time.

"No," came Jacob's sharp reply, not about to inform J. Gander that they were, in fact, one in the same mallard. He kept his eyes locked on Jake. It took every ounce of self control not to lunge and clamp his hands mercilessly around his neck right there in J. Gander's office. "It is a coincidence indeed…"

"Well then! Agent Mallard, this is Jacob Mallard. He is one of my oldest and dearest friends, and quite the SHUSH legend," J. Gander introduced. "After an unexpected hiatus, he is looking to rejoining the organization. Effective as soon as possible. I trust you can take some time from your busy afternoon to acquaint him with the changes SHUSH has gone through over the past two decades?"

Jake clenched his jaw together and he suppressed a low growl in his throat. He wanted to scream right then. Jacob Mallard was supposed to be dead! He remembered shooting him more than once at point-blank range and then leaving him for dead. That had been nearly twenty years ago.

But he turned back to his boss and gave a solemn nod. "Yes, sir. I'd be happy to…"

"Wonderful! Jacob, come by and see me before the end of the day and we will make all of the proper arrangements," J. Gander said and dismissed them with a wave of his hand. He returned to the work on his desk, a pleasant smile on his small bill for the first time in a long while.

"This way, Mr. Mallard…" Jake rumbled lowly and lead him out of the Director's office.

As the two identical mallards walked down the hall, neither said a word to one another nor did they cast a glance. They stayed in step, side-by-side, lest one mallard fall behind and be in the perfect position to stab the other in the back. They received many curious stares from other SHUSH personnel as they passed. Some of the older agents were taken aback to see the famed Jacob Mallard in the flesh. Others rubbed their eyes to be sure that they were not seeing double.

They arrived at Jake's office. He opened the door and stepped inside, Jacob right behind him. The door slammed shut, and Jake spun around with narrowed, enraged eyes.

"You?!" he exclaimed, now able to freely expressed the reality of the situation.

"Surprise," Jacob said with a snide smile.

"How is this possible? I left you for dead!" Jake roared, slamming his palms down on the desk that he stood behind.

"So you assumed. You should have done your homework, friend. Jacob Mallard is not so easily snuffed out."

"It would appear so," Jake scoffed bitterly. "If I would have known, I would have shot you in the head."

"Ah, but you didn't," Jacob reminded him with a triumphant smile on his bill. He looked around the office, taking in every meticulous detail. Jake Mallard was a neat-freak, perhaps obsessive-compulsive. It was the complete opposite of Jacob, who preferred a less than organized surrounding. "Nice little place you've made for yourself here at SHUSH. Thought it was safest for you to hide behind a badge?"

Jake laughed, a wicked grin plastered on his face. "Hide? I have nothing to hide from here in your precious 'Normalverse.'"

"That is where you are mistaken, old friend," Jacob rumbled in a low, eerie voice. He stared forward with his dark, vengeful eyes. Through his eyes one could see Jacob Mallard's soul, empty and hollow. And bent on revenge. "For now I have returned, and the tables have turned. While you had hunted me in the past, now I am hunting you. And you will have nowhere to hide. Not even behind the shield of SHUSH." He leaned forward against his cane. "I am going to kill you."

Jake raised a brow, and rather than feeling intimidated, he looked rather amused. "Is that a threat?"

"No, it's a promise," he corrected. Then he smiled. "And Jacob Mallard never breaks a promise. You destroyed my life. You killed my family. And I intend to repay the favor, no matter the cost."

"Ah, ah, ah, ah! Let's not be hasty," Jake said with a disapprovingly wag of his finger. "I never laid a hand on your family. I didn't have to. You could have remained dead and allowed your body to be found, giving everyone the impression that you died in the line of duty. But no, you decided to survive and remain missing, giving your precious Gail the impression that you deserted them." He paused with a thoughtful expression. "In fact, I remember reading the article in the newspaper the day after she hung herself. No need to fret--they used a beautiful photograph." A devilish smile spread across his bill. "Such a shame. She really was a charming young creature."

The hatred boiled over within Jacob Mallard then. His eyes flashed, and he let out an animalistic roar as he suddenly leapt forward. Jake's eyes went wide as his enemy sailed over the desk and pummeled into him. Both mallards tumbled to the floor and proceeded to lash out at one another.

Out in the hallway, J. Gander had been walking with his secretary and stopped in front of Jake's closed office door. The ruckus and yelling of swear words coming from inside didn't seem to reach his ears.

"Now bring me Jacob Mallard's file from the archives. I want his profile to be re-established as soon as possible. I cannot express how excited I am to have him back in SHUSH ranks," J. Gander instructed. The secretary nodded and hurried on her way. J. Gander turned to the closed door and knocked. "Ah , Agent Mallard? Jacob?" he called before opening the door and stepping inside.

Jacob was casually leaning against the wall while Jake calmly sat behind his desk. However, the room was in complete disarray from the tussle. They managed to fool the Director.

"Ah, I trust you two gentlemen had a chance to converse," J. Gander said with enthusiasm. Then his eyes traveled around the office, and his brows furrowed in concern. "My, Agent Mallard. Doing a bit of redecorating?"

"I guess you could say that," Jake replied calmly as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.

"Well, if you two gentleman are finished, Jacob?" he looked towards him. "I have a few more people I would like to introduce you to, and then we will begin processing your credentials. Come with me."

Jacob let J. Gander exit the office in front of him so that he may turn back toward his double. He raised his cane and pointed it in his direction. "This is far from over, my friend. In fact, it is just beginning." He turned and left, slamming the door behind him.

Jake stared at the door for a long moment, his hands steepled in front of him. His green eyes narrowed and the gears in his head were quickly going into overdrive. Jacob Mallard's return was certainly unexpected, and put it a whole new twist in his every day life. Now he would have to watch his back and constantly wonder what plans he was concocting. One thing the two mallards shared was determination. A drive to achieve what they wanted, whether is be recognition or revenge. And Jake new that Jacob Mallard's drive to kill him was not to be reckoned with.

He knew he would have to play his cards right against Jacob. For Jake, it was a matter of life and death. And, fortunately, he knew exactly which cards he needed in his hand to match Jacob.


	4. Confronting the Past

**Author's Note: **For the purpose of this story, one can assume that J. Gander Hooter knows Darkwing Duck's secret identity, and that he is Jacob Mallard's son. This will be explained below. Also, some parts of this chapter were taken directly from an RPG with the talented DarkwingPsycho, so may thanks for her creative contribution. I hope everyone had a good holiday season and a Happy New Year!

Thank you for reading and reviewing! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Darkwing Duck, Negaduck, J. Gander Hooter, and Dr. Bellum are ©Disney. Jacob Mallard is ©Amanda Rohrssen and Jake Mallard is ©me, so no touchy without permission.

**Chapter Four**

"As you can see, there have been many changes and SHUSH has adopted many innovations within the past fifteen years."

J. Gander was concluding his tour of the new SHUSH with Jacob and they came to the final stop: the SHUSH lab. The Director scanned his badge and entered a code on the security pad, which was followed by an approving beep. The metal door unlocked and they stepped inside.

"As I recall, when you were not out in the field you preferred to spend much of your time here in the lab," J. Gander pointed out.

Jacob's eyes scanned over the inside of the lab in silent awe. J. Gander was right. In his younger years, Jacob had considered himself quite the scientist, and had an expert hand in chemical engineering. When cases were scarce, he passed his time with SHUSH's lead scientists in the lab, concocting experiments and bouncing ideas off one another.

Now, as he took in all of the changes that had taken place in his absence, he couldn't wait to get his hands on what the lab now had to offer.

"I take it Dr. Medulla is no longer around?" Jacob asked curiously.

"No, I'm afraid not," J. Gander said with a shake of his head. "He retired six years ago. Fortunately, we have his very capable student to-oh, look out!"

Jacob turned his head just in time to see an arrow tearing through the air at him. His eyes went wide and he instinctively ducked, and not a second too soon. The arrow pierced the wall behind him rather than his head. When Jacob stood back up, he stared at his old friend questionably.

"What was that?"

"As I was saying," J. Gander continued, calm as if nothing had just happened. He motioned for Jacob to follow. "We have a very competent and capable scientist filling his shoes."

"Ah, Director Hooter!" came a boisterous woman's voice. They approached the female scientist with black hair, large glasses, and wearing a long white lab coat. In her hands was a seemingly harmless stuffed panda bear. "I've just finished the modifications!" she exclaimed as she pressed a button on the back of the bear. The tip of an arrow then protruded from its belly. "The last model that shot bullets kept getting jammed. Then I found the solution! Arrows never jam! Ah ha!"

"Jacob, this is Dr. Sarah Bellum, the head of research and scientific development here at SHUSH. Dr. Bellum, this is Agent Jacob Mallard. He is a senior SHUSH agent, and a dear friend of mine."

Dr. Bellum's eyes widened and she dropped the bear in her hands so she could reach out and excitedly shake one of Jacob's hands. "Oh, the notorious Jacob Mallard! I've heard many stories about you from Dr. Medulla, and I must say it is a real pleasure!"

Jacob finally managed to pry his hand free and smiled with a light, somewhat uneasy chuckle. This lady seemed a bit…unstable. "Ah, yes. The pleasure is mine, Dr. Bellum. I was just admiring your lab and what it has to offer. I would enjoy a tour of the current projects on which you are working."

Her face lit up and she clapped her hands together. "Oh, right this way!" She waved for him to follow her towards a long table that took up half of one of the walls. On it were pieces of equipment, tools, gadgets, and blueprints. "As you know, there are always several projects on the table, but there are few that I am working on which may be Nobel Prize-worthy upon successful completion. Such as this!"

Dr. Bellum picked up a small, cylinder shaped device that resembled a complicated flashlight, complete with a hard plastic lens on the end and buttons along its surface. She handed it to Jacob, who looked it over curiously. "I call it the Transporter! Once it operates successfully, it will have the ability to merge space and open portals to other dimensions. Perhaps you'd be willing to lend your own critical eye?"

Jacob raised a brow skeptical brow at her. "Is that so?" Already an idea was beginning to form in his mind. "Well, Dr. Bellum, seeing as how I have officially returned to SHUSH, I would be delighted in assisting you with this project of yours."

"Oh, wonderful!" Dr. Bellum exclaimed excitedly. They were then interrupted by the beeping sound of a watch alarm. Dr. Bellum looked down at her watch. "If you gentlemen will excuse me, I have a meeting with the evidence technician. I will be in touch, Agent Mallard!"

Jacob looked down at J. Gander questionably after the doctor made her exit. "A bit eccentric, isn't she?"

"Perhaps a bit, but she is genius, Jacob. And enthralled to be working with you. I'm confident that the two of you will make some impressive breakthroughs."

It was then that something else caught Jacob's attention. On a platform across the lab was a very distinctive motorcycle painted in striking shades of purple. He recognized that motorcycle, and he suddenly felt a knot in the pit of his stomach. But he decided to play ignorant for the moment.

"And what is that monstrosity?" he asked and motioned to the Ratcatcher.

J. Gander followed his gaze, then turned back to him. His eyes suddenly seemed gentler and held concern. "That is the motorbike of Darkwing Duck. Saint Canard's vigilante and frequent commission of SHUSH. The lab just completed upgrades to its arsenal." He paused for a moment and studied the agent's face, regarding him silently before asking in a quiet tone, "Jacob, you do know about him, correct?"

"Hmm," was all Jacob grunted in reply, his eyes not moving from the Ratcatcher.

J. Gander slowly nodded his head once, knowing that Jacob was aware of his son being Darkwing Duck. He could sense the uneasiness in his friend and see the conflict through his stoic exterior.

"Have you seen him yet?" J. Gander asked cautiously. When he got no response, he assumed the answer was 'no.' "He is a good lad, Jacob. Very talented, and far too able for the ranks of SHUSH. He reminds me quite a bit of you. I'm sure he would like to know of your return."

Jacob then scoffed. "Well, John, that is debatable."

Despite is aloofness, Jacob was curious about the mallard his son had become in his absence. Was he really a lot like him? Did he ever find out what had happened to him? Would he be relieved to find that he was still alive?

Then his thoughts were interrupted by a voice, but not J. Ganders. It seemed to echo around them.

"I am the terror that flaps in the night!" A cloud of blue smoke appeared in the opened doorway, and gradually faded to reveal the purple caped crimefighter. "I am the hangnail on the trigger-finger of crime! I am-!"

"Ah, Darkwing Duck. Impeccable timing, as always," J. Gander cut him off.

Darkwing was a bit perturbed, having not been able to finish his entrance, but it was quickly dismissed. He had not yet noticed Jacob, who had turned his back toward the hero the second he'd heard his voice. Jacob pretended to be occupied with one of the machines in the lab.

"Well, J. Gander, I trust the Ratcatcher is upgraded and ready for action?" Darkwing asked as he sauntered to where his trusted motorcycle waited.

"Indeed, Darkwing. I'm confident that you will find the updates most useful." J. Gander looked in Jacob's direction, who had not yet made his presence known. This disappointed him. J. Gander was used to seeing his friend as a fearless, strong-willed individual, and it was unsettling to see this behavior from him now.

Fortunately, Darkwing noticed the agent's presence on his own. From the back, he mistakenly presumed that Jacob was someone else.

"Chief Agent Mallard! Just the duck I wanted to see!"

Jacob blinked, and couldn't stop himself from turning around. He leaned heavily on his cane, needing the support then more than ever as he stared into the eyes of his son. His expression was blank, not betraying the whirlwind of emotions inside of him.

Darkwing had to look twice to notice the subtle differences that separated Jacob from the Chief Agent. And when it hit him, his jaw fell open, and pure shock overcame him. He had always believed that his father was dead. That he had died on a dangerous SHUSH mission in a brave act of heroism over fifteen years ago. He never considered the possibility that his father was still alive, believing that if lived that he would come back to his family and spare them the turmoil that had suffered since. But now, seeing him standing in front of him, all of his beliefs, everything he had thought of his father, were proven false. And he suddenly felt the shock begin to melt away into anger.

"You….?" Darkwing finally managed to speak. His eyes narrowed spitefully at Jacob, who stared calmly back.

J. Gander uneasily cleared his throat to interrupt the silence. "I will leave you two gentlemen to your much-needed conversation." He passed Jacob a sympathetic glance before leaving the lab.

The silence remained for several seconds even after J. Gander left. It was Darkwing who spoke first, his arms folded over his chest and a stand-offish scowl on his face. "So, back from an extended vacation, are you?"

"Don't make assumptions with only a portion of the information, boy," Jacob warned in a stern tone. "You cannot even begin to image where I have been and what I have seen, so you'd do well to bite your tongue."

"Well then, enlighten me," Darkwing sneered coldly. "Do tell! Because you obviously weren't dead, as we were all led to believe. Wherever you were, it must have been more important to being here."

Jacob squared his shoulders defensively and clenched his jaw. He had faced many attacks in his lifetime, but none made him more nervous than the one facing him now. "I can see why you would think that," he answered, keeping his voice strong. He wanted Darkwing to understand. To know the truth, but not the entire truth. "Something happened all those years ago, and it prevented me from returning at that time-"

"Were you a prisoner?" Darkwing cut him off in a condescending tone.

The older mallard narrowed his eyes. "No. Not physically, at least."

"So no one was stopping you from coming back," Darkwing snapped accusingly.

At that moment, Jake had been walking down the hallway and happened to pass by the opened door of the lab. When he passed, he stopped and did a double take when the familiar voices reached his ears. It was then he spotted Darkwing and Jacob having a rather heated conversation. With a crafty expression, he slid just out of sight and listened.

"Did you even stop to think about what was happening while you were gone?" Darkwing snarled. His voice was amplified by anger and confusion. But most of all, there was hurt. "Did you ever consider that we *might* have needed you?"

Jacob's hand visibly tightened around the handle of his cane. This was what he had feared-that his son would assume the worst of him and that he would have to face his

firing squad of questions. "Are you assuming that I intentionally stayed away?"

"'Are you assuming that I intentionally stayed away?'" Darkwing repeated in a childish voice. "What do you think?" When he received stubborn silence from his father, he glared spitefully back at him. "Did you even know that Mom had killed herself because you were gone? That Carrie was killed in a car accident? Did you know that I was suddenly left with *no one* when I needed you the most?"

Jacob couldn't bring himself to answer. While the answer to all of his son's questions was 'yes,' he couldn't bring himself to tell him the truth. The truth would devastate him, for it was the answer did not want to hear. It would only verify Darkwing's fear that his father was not who he believed him to be. Jacob wanted to tell him the truth. That he couldn't return for the safety of his family, knowing that the man responsible for his disappearance would bring them harm. He wanted to tell Darkwing that it was Jake who was responsible for everything that has happened. But he knew he wouldn't be believed, and it would ruin his ultimate plan for revenge.

Darkwing folded his arms and scoffed bitterly. "I thought so." The hero turned and began to storm away in the opposite direction.

"Drake-" Jacob began to stop him.

"That's *Darkwing Duck* to you," Darkwing corrected him. He paused to look over his shoulder at him. "It's too little, far too late. You should have just remained missing."

Darkwing marched out of the lab and into the hallway. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he had to get out of the lab and away from his father. And as he stomped down the long hall, his breathing became more labored with each step. His scowl began to melt into a bewildered expression, and he could feel the sweat on his brow beneath his fedora. Before he knew it, he was leaning forward against the wall, panting heavily and his heart pounding within his chest. His nerves were strained, and he could feel his hands trembling. Questions were racing through his mind and he suddenly felt exhausted. He fought to keep his knees from buckling and he felt as if he would pass out at any second.

Then a firm hand came down onto his shoulder. Darkwing gasped and pulled away, expecting Jacob had followed him. But when he spun around he was met with someone else.

"Whoa, easy there, kid," Jake said in a gentler voice.

Darkwing gave a sigh of relief, exhaling the tension that had built inside of him during the past several minutes. "Oh, Agent Mallard. I thought you were someone else."

Jake raised a curious brow, using ignorance to his advantage. "Oh?"

The hero heaved his shoulders and made a weak attempt to regain his composure. "I just discovered that my father has returned after fifteen years of everyone believing he was dead. Needless to say, I was less than thrilled to see him back."

"Ah, yes," Jake answered with a nod. "I've had the privilege of meeting the famous Jacob Mallard this morning."

There was a pause, then Darkwing shook his head in disbelief. "I don't get it, Agent Mallard. He could have returned at any time. No one was stopping him but himself. But he decides to show up *now*, after everything has already fallen apart?"

"You mean he didn't give you answers?"

Darkwing scoffed. "I can't believe anything he says. For years everything has been a lie. Why should I believe him now?" He hesitated before adding, "But I do want answers. To everything."

Jake watched as the crime fighter struggled with the conflicting emotions stirring inside of him. He was confused, and vulnerable. And most of all, he was another pawn for Jake to use against his adversary. And now this pawn was in the perfect position for play.

The agent softened his expression ever so slightly. "Do you really want answers, Darkwing?"

He heard himself growl lowly, "Yes, I do."

"I can get you answers." Jake waited until Darkwing's eyes met his own. "If you want to know what really happened, I can find out. I can look into the SHUSH files and hopefully provide you answers to your questions."

Darkwing blinked curiously. "You can do that?"

Jake gave a small, arrogant smile. "I'm the Chief Agent. I can do whatever I want."

Darkwing nodded firmly. "Do it. Why don't you stop by this evening? That way you can bring me what you've found."

There was a short pause before Jake smiled and answered, "I'll be there at 6."

"Great. Eheh, I suppose I don't need to tell you where I live?" Darkwing assumed with a sheepish grin.

"I won't be late," Jake smirked in reply. Then he reached out and tenderly placed his hand on Darkwing's shoulder. "Don't worry, Drake. You'll get the closure you need."

Back In the lab, Jacob was hunched over a sink, splashing water onto his face. The confrontation with his son had left him more nerve-wracked than any other confrontation in his life. He had anticipated it to be bad, but not a disaster. Now he doubted if his relationship with Darkwing could ever be mended.

He shook his head, sending water droplets flying from his feathers. The sound of Darkwing's voice outside caught his attention. There was another voice, one that sounded familiar. Curiously, Jacob walked as quietly as possible to the door and peered out. Down the hall, he saw Darkwing conversing with his enemy. Then Jake reached out and placed his hand on Darkwing's shoulder in a comforting manner….

Jacob felt his blood boil. He knew the game his rival was playing. Now Jake was taking advantage of his damaged relationship with Darkwing. His hatred for Jake raised to new levels just then. And he felt a wave of anger toward Darkwing for falling under Jake's manipulative nature.

But Jacob was not going to let this development change his plans. He was determined not to be derailed and had to stay on track. Now that he was back within SHUSH's walls, he could move forward. First, he had to rendezvous with a certain public enemy.

In the abandoned asylum he used as his hideout, Negaduck sat behind a desk that was covered in various firearms and weaponry. He leaned back in his chair, polishing a semi-auto assault rifle. Not expecting any visitors, he was startled when he heard Jacob's voice boom through the vast hallways.

"NEGADUCK!"

The villain jumped, and the rifle discharged. The bullet ricocheted off of a gun safe, then bounced off of a light fixture before zipping right towards his head. He managed to duck at the right second, and the bullet shot through the top of his fedora. Negaduck looked at the hole left in his precious hat.

"Oooo…." he growled angrily. He turned his head to see Jacob standing in the doorway. The masked mallard glowered, annoyed as he placed the fedora back on his head. "Don't you ever knock?"

"There's no time for pleasantries," Jacob said as he sauntered inside. "Now, put your toys down for the moment. We have business to discuss." He began to wander aimlessly around the room that had previously been an office. "Step one was a success. I'm back in SHUSH."

"Oh, goody…." Negaduck muttered, unimpressed. He picked up a knife and began to file his nails with it, all the while watching Jacob with narrowed eyes. "So what?"

Jacob let the villain's snide remarks roll off of his back. "I will have unlimited resources for us to use. And now I am in the perfect position to ruin Jake's reputation at SHUSH."

"Screw his reputation!" Negaduck suddenly snarled as he slammed his fist on the desk. "His reputation will be the last thing on his mind when I rip his head from his shoulders!"

"Patience. All in due time," Jacob calmly retorted. "You will have your chance to reap your bloody revenge, Negaduck. I promise you that. But before he meets an untimely demise, I want to take away everything important to him, just as he did me. You assist me with that, then I will assist you."

"Pah! You may need *my* help, old timer, but I certainly don't need yours!" Negaduck sneered, dismissing the fact that he had yet to be successful in taking his own revenge against Jake. "What assistance could you possibly provide me?"

Jacob turned to face him, a sly smile on his beak. "What would you say if I could get you back to the Negaverse?"

Now he had his attention. Negaduck looked up from sharpening the large knife, not able to hide the curiosity on his face. Still, he remained skeptical and scoffed. "How's that? The portal collapsed on itself, thanks to that caped crusading clown son of yours."

"On the contrary, SHUSH is in the process of completing a device that will open a gateway to parallel universes. I'm personally going to be overseeing the finishing touches of this device. You help me, Negaduck, and you will be rewarded. I give you my word."

The masked mallard glowered and rose to his feet. He stalked toward Jacob and came to a stop in front of him, his suspicious eyes piercing his own. "Your word? Why should I believe your word is worth anything?" he growled insultingly.

Then Jacob did something seemingly completely out of character. He started laughing hysterically, his deep voice pulsating with amusement, the loud, raucous sound reverberating off of the walls around them. It was a laugh that bordered insanity.

Abruptly, he cut himself off, his hand shooting out to clench itself tightly around Negaduck's small throat.

"Don't talk to me about trust!" Jacob spat contemptuously. "I may be at least twice your age, but I have more honor flowing through my veins than you could ever hope to achieve in a thousand lifetimes. I am NOT a common thief, boy, nor am I even one *feather* like your father. I may look like him, but I assure you, I would rather die than live a life parallel to that devil's spawn."

He released the villain, his look serious and deadly, but there was also a tenderness there - a sadness. His voice grew solemn and weary. "You don't have to like me. All I ask from you is respect."

Negaduck adjusted his collar and his cape, not faltering from Jacob's outburst. No one had ever stood up to him, the city's public enemy, and demanded such respect. It made him see the older mallard in a different light then, and he had seen something familiar in his dark eyes. Something that he had seen in his own. They had more in common than they had differences. And they both understood that neither could achieve their revenge on their own.

"I'm not gonna idly sit by while you have all the fun," Negaduck rumbled menacingly.

Jacob gave a trademark smile that revealed a cunning beneath his cool exterior. "Perish the thought. I want to expose him as the rat that he really is to SHUSH. That's where you can have some fun, boy. Draw him out in the way that you do best. I'll show up as well, and if everything goes according to plan, I'll be able to catch him in a confession to his sins. Only this time, he won't get to repent." His black eyes glinted, a mixture of excitement and insanity shining through. "You think you're up to it, Mr. Public Enemy?"

Negaduck met his eyes, the eagerness and desire reflecting off of his own. Then, as fast as a lightning strike, he grabbed the knife off of the desk and hurled it across the room. It pierced a photo of Agent Jake Mallard directly between the eyes.

He turned back to Jacob, his arms folded over his chest. "Damn straight, I am."


	5. Defamation of Character

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the long delay for an update. Work has been crazy busy! I'm currently in Washington D.C. for a 30-day assignment, so I have more evenings free during the week to write. I've finally broken through my writer's block so another update will be coming real soon. Once again, a good chunk of this chapter (mainly the Drake and Jake interaction) was taken directly from an RPG with DarkwingPsycho, so many thanks to her for her creative contribution.

Thank you for reading and please review!

**Disclaimer:** Darkwing Duck, Negaduck, Gosalyn, and Launchpad are ©Disney. Jacob Mallard is ©Amanda Rohssen and Jake Mallard is ©Me.

**Chapter Five**

"This is the only component missing from the Transporter." Jacob unrolled a blueprint of SHUSH's newest contraption and spread it across the desk. He pointed to the diagram of the small piece in question. "It's scheduled to be delivered to SHUSH after hours tonight via an unmarked delivery truck. Think you can intercept it?"

Negaduck arched a brow at him, as if he had just asked him the dumbest question in world. "Not that I'm looking for a way out of this plan to cause some havoc, but why don't you just get it at SHUSH yourself with your new 'access'?" The last word was dripping with cynicism.

"Because, boy, if *you* steal the missing piece, it puts the production of the Transporter on hold. This will give us the opportunity to use it for ourselves without someone noticing that it is missing from the lab," Jacob explained in a condescending voice as if he were trying to explain to a five-year old.

The villain sneered. "Gimme that," he said and snatched the blueprint to get a closer look at his intended prize. The only reason he put up with Jacob's snide attitude was because he'd soon be on his way back to the Negaverse. He had been longing for a way to return ever since Darkwing caused the portal to collapse. And when Jacob informed him of a potential way back, it seemed too good to be true, and Negaduck still had his doubts. He still didn't trust Jacob, and remained vigilante of any ulterior motive or double-cross.

And Negaduck knew how to deal with a double-crosser--a chainsaw to the kneecaps or a .357 slug to the head usually did the trick.

Negaduck looked out of the window to see the first of the city's lights beginning to flicker to life as the sun slowly descended the Saint Canard skyline. He turned his suspicious glower to the man who so closely resembled his own father. It took a tremendous amount of restrain to stop himself from wrapping his hands around Jacob's neck and strangling him.

"I'll get your stupid little component," he growled lowly. "Just as long as *you* bring *me* the Transporter."

The older mallard blinked, but then chuckled as he followed Negaduck out of the room. They soon entered a large garage-like hanger which housed all of the devious mallard's vehicles. There was the vicious looking jet plane, a heinous monster truck, and his fierce motorcycle among many others, all of which matched his poisonous tri-color scheme.

"You know, I'm sensing some major trust issues," Jacob remarked with a false tone of concern as he followed. He gave a melodramatic frown. "And if we don't work these issues out, I'm afraid this relationship is just not going to work."

Negaduck gnashed his teeth as he climbed onto the Troublemaker. "I trust no one. The only reason I'm doing this is because there's something in it for me." He paused briefly, then smirked as he exchanged his fedora for a red and black helmet. "And I never turn down the opportunity to cause a little mayhem."

"Just get that part, Negaduck," Jacob urged as he returned to being serious. "And I'll see to it that you return to your little playground."

Negaduck glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. He didn't offer him another word as he switched the bike's ignition and it roared to life like an angry lion. He gave it a few strong revs, then pulled on the gas, causing the tired to screech loudly against the concrete.

Jacob watched the motorcycle speed out of sight, a stoic expression on his slightly aged face. He tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the handle of his cane. It would take a lot of hard work to gain the villain's trust, which, he hated to admit, he needed in order to successfully reap his revenge against their common enemy. But he was confident he would prevail. Jacob Mallard knew how to get accomplices. And even thought the Public Enemy would be his biggest challenge to date, he knew it was not impossible. It would be a matter of time before he would form an alliance with Negaduck to finally take down the man who destroyed his life.

***

"Gosalyn! I told you to pick up this mess!" Drake shouted as he tripped over a hockey stick on his way into the living room. He glanced at the clock on the wall as he began to pick up a few of the scattered items himself. "Agent Mallard is going to be here any minute!"

He didn't know why he felt so anxious about Jake's impending arrival. He was finally going to get the answers he had longed for since his childhood. Answers about his father and his disappearance. But what if they weren't the answers he wanted to hear? What if the answers turned out to be worse than he had anticipated? What if--??

"Oh come on, Dad! What's the big deal?" Gosalyn argued from where she sat on the couch, engrossed in a game of Whiffle Boy. "Since when do you invite SHUSH agents over here, anyway? You hate those guys!"

Launchpad rubbed his cleft chin thoughtfully. "Gee, DW, Gos has a point. Is this regarding some case?" he asked, feeling a bit disappointed that he was potentially out of the loop.

"No, this is something…uh…personal!" Drake explained, his arms now piled high with soccer balls, rollerblades, and hockey pucks. He staggered and swayed, attempting to keep his balance.

Gosalyn stopped playing her video game to look in the direction of her father skeptically. Drake had been mum about the whole situation to both her and Launchpad. "Personal? Like what? And how come this guy has the same last name as us? IS he some relative you failed to mention?" she asked in an accusatory tone.

"Not really…" Drake muttered, barely audible. He had intentionally kept the details from his daughter and sidekick. He didn't want them asking questions when he himself didn't even have the answers. Drake's past was something that had always been kept hidden from his present life, and he hoped to keep it that way.

A wave of light suddenly passed over the living room through the window that faced the street. Drake turned his head just in time to see the headlights of the black sedan pull into the driveway.

"He's here!" Drake announced, almost fearfully. He dropped the armful of sports gear in top of Gosalyn. "Here! Put this away and Gos, *please*, stay out of trouble! Launchpad can keep you company!"

"But Dad, I wanna stick around! Maybe he has some good secret agent stories!"

Outside, parked in the driveway of the Mallard Household, Jake silently sat in his car for a moment. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he eyed the front door, then glanced to the passenger seat where a briefcase sat. Inside the briefcase were the tools he needed to persuade Drake that Jacob Mallard was nothing more and a selfish coward, and would pull the naïve vigilante onto his side forever. It was just one more thing that Jake could take away from his enemy.

He grabbed the briefcase and got out of the car, approaching the front door with a purpose in his step. He rang the doorbell.

"I don't want to hear another sound out of you for the rest of the night!" Drake's voice carried through the doorway as he shouted up at his daughter.

With a jiggle of the doorknob, the door swung open and Drake smiled cordially. "Agent Mallard, glad you could make it." He backed up a few steps to allow the agent to pass into the entryway before he closed the door.

"Please, call me Jake," he answered and stepped inside. As he was pulling off his coat, he tilted his head towards the ceiling when he heard the rhythmic stomping. "The old 'lock 'em in the bedroom' ploy?" he asked Drake with an amused smile.

"Uh...she's practicing for when she gets her drum set. You know...keeping rhythm?" He let Jake walk in front of him toward the dining room before he turned his head back up toward the second level. "AND IF SHE KNOWS WHAT'S GOOD FOR HER SHE'LL KNOCK IT OFF!!"

That did the trick...for the moment.

Jake followed him into the kitchen, his curiosity perked. "I was unaware that you have children."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Gosalyn," Drake answered with a wave of his hand, "She's adopted. A great kid, really. But anything less than a handful at times. And stubborn to boot."

"Sounds like she's got a lot of spirit," Jake observed as the two mallard sat down at the kitchen table, across from one another. Instantly, he began thinking of how this new development could benefit him and his plans.

"Pah! 'A lot' would be an understatement!" Drake exclaimed, although the hint of pride in his voice was obvious. Then his eyes drifted to the briefcase that Jake had set on the table, and his expression turned sincere. "So…were you able to find anything?" he asked, somewhat hesitant.

"Well, Drake, I've got some good news and bad news," he answered as he opened the briefcase and began rifling through its contents. "The good news is that I spent the last half of the day pulling the useful information you requested."

A look of anticipated dread crossed Drake's face. "And the bad news?"

Jake looked up at him regretfully. "The bad news is that the information is...probably not what you'd want to hear."

He felt the breath he had been holding in slowly exhale out of him as the disappointment hit. "I figured as much."

Suddenly the back door leading into the kitchen burst open and Gosalyn barreled into the room, a large water gun in her hands.

"All right, stick 'em up! This is a jailbreak!" Gosalyn whooped, shooting her father straight in the face with a stream of water.

"Gosalyn!!" Drake gurgled, wiping the liquid from his face.

"Yes Dad?" the duckling said in a suddenly sugary-sweet tone of voice.

"Aren't you supposed to be in your ROOM?"

"Hey, there are laws against cruel and unusual punishment, Dad, and besides, you should know by now that locking me in won't keep ME in my room!"

Drake looked toward the ceiling with a "give me strength" expression.

Jake stifled a smirk as he watched. The young girl *did* have spirit. Normally, he hated that, especially in children. But he found himself a bit interested in this spunky red-headed child."So, this must be the Gosalyn Mallard I've heard about," he cut in, turning in his chair to face her."Yeah, what's it to ya?" Gosalyn retorted, turning to face Jake.

Drake cleared his throat warningly. "This is Daddy's guest for the evening, Agent Mallard, whom you will show some respect!"

"Pfft, yeah right," Gosalyn muttered under her breath. "How do you know my dad?" she asked Jake, unafraid.

Jake knew he had to play his cards right with Gosalyn. Already he could decipher that she was clever and fearless. It may prove to be more difficult to pull the wool over her eyes, but he was confident that he would be able to win the rambunctious 9-year old's approval as well.

"I guess you could say that I'm an…old friend of his father," Jake answered her, his voice taking on a more gentler and engaging tone as he spoke to her.

Gosalyn's eyes widened, then turned accusingly on Drake. "You told me your dad was killed by man-eating apes!"

Drake pulled at his collar nervously. "Well, that's what I thought! But apparently he's really been in hiding this whole time."

"Hiding? From what?!" Gosalyn inquired, her interest peaked.

"That's what Daddy and the nice man are trying to *discuss*, so why don't you play your Quackstation for a while, *dear*?" Drake suggested forcefully through clenched teeth.

She had been disciplined enough to know that look meant business. "Uh, heh, heh, I think I'll go play some video games," said Gosalyn, backing away from her father toward the living room.

As soon as she disappeared through the swinging door, Drake's stern glare faded and he looked apologetically at Jake. "Sorry about that; she's a little headstrong."

Little did he know that Gosalyn was listening just outside of the doorway.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure she keeps things around here very interesting," Jake responded with a careless wave of his hand. "So, Drake, is there much outside of the life behind the mask and cape? Are you married?" He wanted to get as much information, both on Darkwing Duck AND Drake Mallard, that would put him a step ahead of Jacob."Er, no," Drake said somewhat grudgingly, as if it were something he'd been meaning to do, he just hadn't got around to it yet. "But I am seeing someone. Then there's my sidekick, Launchpad. He lives with us and helps me take care of Gos. And other than sporting events, parent-teacher meetings, and maintaining the general home infrastructure, that's pretty much it. What about you, Agent Mal- er, Jake. What do you do outside of SHUSH?"

Jake chuckled and shook his head. "Unfortunately, any life outside of SHUSH for me is non-existent," he said. It was one of the few truths he would tell Drake all evening."I know what you mean by that. I was all work before Gosalyn came into my life. How long have you known my father, Jake?" He decided it was time to get down to business.

"If by 'known' you mean how long have we known one another existed, about twenty years. That was when I first 'stumbled' upon this universe. But that was just one or two occasions I was here. It wasn't until I decided to stay here about five years later that we started butting heads and developed a strong dislike for one another. Then he disappeared."

Gosalyn pressed her ear against the closed door, growing more interested by the second. What did Jake mean by 'universe?'

"Hey, Gos!" came Launcpad's voice as he descended the stairs. "Aren't you supposed to be in your--?"

The redhead grabbed Launchpad by his aviator's scarf and pulled him down so she could clamp a hand over his beak. "Shh! Listen…!" she whispered and motioned towards the closed door.

Launchpad quietly mumbled something in reply and nodded as he joined her in the eavesdropping.

"Oh, right. The Negaverse," Drake acknowledged, having vivid memories of the parallel universe which his double ruled with an iron fist. He raised a brow with a light smirk. "You couldn't stand it there either, huh?"

"It could hardly shine a light to the life here, and that's putting it mildly," Jake answered in disgust. "I was an agent for SHUSH there before I came here."

There was a pause as a red flag popped up in Drake's mind. "Hey, hold the phone…" He leaned forward and eyed Jake suspiciously. "If everything is the opposite in the Negaverse, wouldn't that make SHUSH an *evil* organization??"

But this only caused Jake to smile. This was an accusation he had anticipated. "You are sharp, 'Darkwing.' And you are correct. But it was not always as such. The corruption began shortly after I joined their ranks. Pretty soon, SHUSH overtook Saint Canard by means of anarchy. This was when I left SHUSH, and stumbled upon a portal that led here."

"Oh…Eheh, well, I guess that makes sense," Drake said sheepishly. He felt embarrassed that the thought of such an esteemed SHUSH agent would consort with a criminal organization. "So, you came here, joined the more righteous SHUSH, and that's when you came across my father. Was he a…good agent?"

Drake was grasping for any piece of information that could reinstate his respect and admiration for his father.

"Yes. An excellent agent. No one could deny that," Jake admitted and tried not to grit his teeth in contempt at praising his worst enemy. "He was good at everything he did and was praised for it. When I came along and began to unintentionally steal his thunder, he developed a strong disliking towards me.""Ah...he felt threatened by you? Is he the one who started the feud between you two?" Drake asked curiously.

"That would be a fair statement. He was more hostile towards me. I returned mutual feelings in my own defense. It wasn't long after my arrival that he disappeared. Many others at SHUSH assumed he didn't like the competition and just left with a grudge. Many of them still believe that. But very few of us know better...and the true story."Jake returned his attention to the briefcase. He reached inside, picked up the top enveloped file and slid it across the table to Drake. "Yes, he did disappear, but not on his own accord. It appears that your father had other enemies on his tail to worry about.""He did? Such as...?" Drake said with a raised eyebrow as he opened the file and glanced inside. The idea had never crossed his mind.

"I don't think even HE knows that for sure. He was nearly assassinated twice, probably by the same person," Jake narrated. Inside the file were documents describing a phony mission Jacob was sent to investigate. There was also a hospital report from after the first time he was shot with a couple of hospital surveillance photos of Jacob. "The last mission he was sent to investigate and never returned from was supposedly a hoax.""If it was a hoax then why did they let him go?" Drake muttered. Then he sighed loudly, running his hands down his face. "Who shot him? Why weren't we informed of the hospital records? Did SHUSH know about this the whole time? They told Mom he disappeared a few days after he left for the mission - that they had no idea where he was. And who set up this supposed 'phony mission'?" he questioned agitatedly, frustrated that instead of getting more answers, all he seemed to be getting were more questions. He put his head in his hands, feeling suddenly exhausted.

In the other room, Gosalyn narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Hmm…something smells fishy here, Launchpad…."

"Yeah, I thought Drake said he was making salmon for dinner," Launchpad agreed, the analogy going completely over his head.

"No!" Gosalyn quietly hissed and turned to face him. "I mean what they're talking about in there! Dad never talked about his father before, and now there's all of this talk about him still being alive and a phony SHUSH mission. And there's something about this Agent Mallard guy that I don't like…"

Launchpad blinked questionably. "DW has a father? He told me his father was killed in a freak golf accident!"

"Now I *know* something is going on here…" Gosalyn concluded as she returned to her eavesdropping.

"Don't worry, Drake. SHUSH wasn't keeping anything from you and your family. No one there even knew where he disappeared to," Jake gently reassured, which was true. "No one knew who was after him or why. But it's safe to assume whoever it was is also the person responsible for permanently crippling him."

Drake scoffed spitefully as he remembered his confrontation with Jacob earlier that day. "It didn't seem to do anything to improve his personality, that's for sure."

Jake had to hide the grin that was fighting to surface. With every minute that passed, Drake's disdain for Jacob was growing. He had him right where he wanted him. And Drake would never discover that he, Jake Mallard, was the assassin of Jacob Mallard. "Your father was good at everything he did. That was the source of his enormous ego. He never failed at anything nor was he ever outsmarted. But this assassin outsmarted him and crippled him and his ego for life. It's quite possible that he disappeared afterwards on his own accord, too ashamed to face SHUSH with his failure."

With this new information brought to light, it seemed obvious that what Jake assumed was the truth. Drake remembered his father as being very self-assured, very capable, and while he had been a good father while he'd been home, the fact of the matter was that he had barely been there. It had been more important to his father to work and spend time on missions than to raise his own children. And without work, Drake thought, his father cared for nothing. Jacob HAD abandoned them after all - just as his sister had said all along. He'd never really believed that - truly, deeply believed that - until this moment.

Drake stared back into Jake's eyes, the blue irises reflecting a cold, hardened glare. "So why is 'dear old dad' back in Saint Canard? Why NOW?"

*Because I failed to wipe him off of the face of the earth and now he wants MY blood* Jake bitterly thought to himself and secretly gritted his teeth together. "I'm not entirely sure what his full intentions are at the moment," Jake answered him. "But I don't doubt that they are far from virtuous. He's gotten Director Hooter to reinstate him as an agent, so he is back with SHUSH. Apparently, the two of them go way back."

"I know," Drake snapped quietly. After Jacob had disappeared, J. Gander had become like a second father to Drake - though he, like Jacob, could never afford much time away from work. And now he felt betrayed by J. slid the briefcase across the table towards Drake. "In the meantime, I'm sure there's plenty here for you to read up on and get the whole story. The REAL story.""I'll do that," Drake said, taking the file he had been reading and placing it inside.

ERRR! ERRR! ERRR! ERRR!

A loud alarm suddenly blared through the house, which was accompanied by a flashing red light. It caused Jake to jump and clap his hands over his ears. "What the blazes is that?!"

"DRAT! It's the Darkwing Remote Alarm Terminal!" Drake announced and jumped to his feet. His eyes were wide with the adrenaline rush that came with the news of a crime in progress.

"Uh oh!" Gosalyn cried over the sound of the alarm, knowing she would be grounded if she were caught listening in on the private conversation. She looked up at Launchpad. "Quick! Hide!"

They both bolted up the stairs just as Drake came barreling into the living room. He pulled aside a framed family photograph that was hanging on the wall and pressed the outrageously large red button that had been hidden there. The alarm ceased, and a portion of the wall slid aside to reveal a small computer terminal. He hopped into the chair and began typing away at the keyboard.

"AH HA!" he declared loudly as he read the text that appeared on the screen. "It's Negaduck! That dastardly duck of darkness is up to his diabolical deeds once again!"

Drake jumped up and passed Jake an apologetic yet excited look. "Agent Mallard, sorry to cut this short but duty calls!"

Jake held up a hand dismissively. "No apology necessary, Drake. I'll show myself out." He passed him an encouraging smile. "Get to work, Darkwing."

Drake could feel himself swell with pride from the agent's parting remark. "Launchpad! Launchpad! We gotta go! We--! Oh, forget it," he concluded. Too excited to wait for his sidekick and confident that he could stop Negaduck on his own, he leapt into one of the blue chairs and punched the statue of Basil of Baker Street on the head. The chairs whirred and spun, and then the mallard was gone.

As soon as Drake was out of sight, Jake's warm smile twisted into one of deviousness that would rival that of his son. He now had Drake despising Jacob, and he would continue to pull the masked hero onto his side of the line. It was just one more victory for Jake over Jacob.

He picked up his coat and started to pull it on as he headed toward the door. As he did so, a head of read hair peered around the corner from the top of the stairs and watched with suspicious green eyes.

Then Jake suddenly stopped. He narrowed his eyes and looked over his shoulder, but then saw no one. With a conclusive grunt, he continued on his way and exited the Mallard home.

Gosalyn waited until she saw the car pull out of the driveway and drive down the street before she came downstairs. She made a beeline to the kitchen where Drake and Jake had been having their conversation. The briefcase had been left open on the table.

"Hey, Plain View Doctrine," Gosalyn justified aloud with a shrug and hopped up onto a chair so she could dig through the briefcase's contents.


	6. Peril on the HighWays

**Author's Note: **An action-packed chapter makes for a quick update. This was a lot of fun to write to I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Thank you for reading and please review!

**Disclaimer:** Darkwing Duck and Negaduck are ©Disney. Jacob Mallard is ©Amanda Rohssen.

**Chapter Six**

The seemingly average-looking delivery truck drove along the back-country road that led from Duckburg to Saint Canard, hugging the winding corners as its headlights cut through the darkness of the night. Two plain-clothed security guards sat in the driver and passenger seat, the one on the right letting out a tired yawn. It was another uneventful courier job for them, and they could drive this route with their eyes closed if they had wanted. At that moment, there was nothing else they'd rather do. The passenger struggled to keep his eyes open, and neither of the guards seemed to notice in the review mirror a single headlight coming up behind them.

The sinister motorcycle came up fast behind the truck, and a grappling hook suddenly shot out and hooked to the back bumper.

CLANG!

Both of the guards were suddenly alert, jarred from their state of boredom.

"What was that?" the driver asked. He tried to look in the review mirrors. "Can you see anything?"

The passenger also looked but saw nothing. "I'll check it out," he replied as he unhooked his seatbelt. He climbed between the two seats to the door that lead to the back of the truck, stepped through, and it slammed shut behind him.

A few seconds later, there was a loud bang, followed by the muffled sounds of a scuffle. Then there was only the sound of the truck's engine humming.

The driver blinked nervously. "Uh…Johnny? You okay back there…??"

When he turned his head around to see what had happened to his co-worker, he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

"Get your eyes back on the road…" a deep voice demanded.

The driver did just that and gulped. He couldn't see the attacker's face, but he knew that his life was suddenly in grave danger.

"Throw your gun out the window."

Knowing that a gun was still pointed at the back of his head, the guard once again complied. He removed the small pistol from his belt, rolled down the window, and tossed it out.

"Good. Now, keep driving," the villainous voice demanded, and added threateningly, "If this truck stops rolling, you stop breathing…"

The poor guard that was now being held hostage had no choice, and his hands wrapped around the steering wheel in a white knuckled grip as he did as he was told.

Negaduck slammed the door shut that separated the back of the truck to the cab and struggled to see in the dark space. The only light was that of the moon that shone through the double windows in the back door. He carelessly stepped over the motionless body of the other guard and began digging through the unmarked crates and chests in search of what he had come for. He violently threw aside the worthless items until he came to a wooden crate which had the words 'SHUSH LAB' stamped in red on the front. He grinned and ripped the lid off of the crate like a child opening his presents on Christmas morning. Inside the crate was a smaller black box nestle in protective foam padding. Negaduck picked it up in his hands and opened the box to see the missing part for SHUSH's newest invention.

"Ahaha…You, my pretty, are my ticket home," Negaduck chuckled in triumph.

"I am the terror that flaps in the night!"

The villain blinked in surprise. Then he growled and gave an annoyed look in the direction of an expanding cloud of blue smoke.

"I am the pothole in the road of crime! I….am Darkwiiiiiing Duck!" the hero announced and outstretched his arms over his head in one of his flamboyant poses as the smoke cleared.

Negaduck stood with his arms folded across his chest, the box in his hand, and an unimpressed glower on his face. "Are you finished?"

"Ha! YOU'RE the one whose finished, Negaduck!" Darkwing announced dramatically and pointed at his nemesis for effect. "Now, surrender and hand over that plunder, you pilfering perpetrator!"

"Oooo, such quick wit! Let's see if your reflexes are just as fast!"

Negaduck raised the gun in his hand and pulled the trigger. When Darkwing managed to dodge the first bullet, he fired again. With each miss, the impact against the wall of the truck caused the vehicle to swerve, nearly knocking both mallards off balance.

After a dozen shots, the chamber of the gun clicked, announcing that it was empty. Negaduck blinked, then snarled angrily.

Darkwing stood up from his back flip and smiled smugly. "Ha! Is that the best you can do, Negaduck??

He was too busy gloating to see the next shot coming, and something small and hard hit Darkwing directly in the bill where it became lodged.

"Foul ball…!" Darkwing groaned dizzily.

Negaduck grinned, but it quickly faded when the realization hit. He had just thrown away the item he had been trying to steal.

"Dammit!!"

The vigilante shook his head, then spat out the small box into his own hands. When he noticed what it was, he smirked and struck a heroic pose. "Once again, Darkwiiiing Duck is successful!"

"Gimme that, you dolt!" Negaduck roared and leapt with his hands outstretched.

"HI-YAAH!"

Darkwing perfectly delivered web-kick to Negaduck's midsection, which sent the villain flying backwards. He grunted as he hit the wall of the van, which sent it on another dangerous swerve. But he was kick to recover, and Negaduck was quickly on his feet again. He grabbed a plank from the lid of a crate and swung it at Darkwing like a baseball bat.

"Yipes!" Darkwing yelped as he ducked and dodged one swing after another. "Strike one! Strike two! Strike THREE!"

"YOU'RE out, Duck!" Negaduck swung the plank, which made contact with the side of Darkwing's head. The impact disoriented the hero and caused him to lose his hold on the coveted box.

Negaduck snatched it out of the air with a triumphant laugh. "Ha! Victory!"

Just as Darkwing was wobbling his way to his feet, Negaduck darted to the back of the truck and kicked the loading doors open.

"I don't think so, Negaduck! Come back here!"

"Phht. Yeah, right…." the villain muttered in reply. The truck was still driving at a decently dangerous speed, the driver not daring to disobeying Negaduck's orders and facing the potential consequences.

Negaduck grabbed onto the rungs of a ladder attached to the side of the truck and climbed to the top. And Darkwing was not far behind. The black caped mallard sprinted across the top of the truck and came to a stop when he came to the edge. When he turned around, he saw his double climbing into view.

"There's no escape from me! Now, hand over that SHUSH property!" Darkwing demanded in an authoritative voice.

Of course, Negaduck remained defiant. He never surrendered to his look-alike, and he wasn't about to break that habit. "In your dreams, Darkwing---DUCK!!!"

Negaduck's eyes went wide as he turned his head and saw a low-lying tree branch coming at him. He managed to duck his head just in time and it sailed over his head. Unfortunately, Darkwing wasn't as lucky.

"What?" he asked in a confused voice. Then he saw the branch coming at him "Ack!"

Darkwing managed to dodge the tree's thick limb, but he was violently thrown off balance, and nearly thrown off of the moving vehicle. He managed to grip the edge of the truck with his fingers, and now he flapped off of the back as it continued to speed forward. His eyes averted downward to see the dark pavement speeding past at over fifty miles an hour and gulped.

"Eheh….That was close…!" he laughed nervously to himself.

"Not close enough…" growled a sinister voice.

Darkwing looked up to see the eyes of his double glaring down at him from behind the black mask. "Uh oh…." he groaned in dread.

"Time to go SPLAT, Ducky!" Negaduck said with a wicked laugh. He lifted a webbed foot, intent on smashing it down hard on Darkwing's fingers and send him into a bone-crushing tumble on the road.

But just as Negaduck slammed his foot down, Darkwing swiftly pulled his targeted hand away. In a quick move, he grabbed onto the villain's ankle and pulled him over the side.

"YAAAAHH!!" he shrieked as he tumbled forward through the air. As he fell, Negaduck managed to grab onto Darkwing's ankles. It stopped him from becoming road kill, but he nearly got the wind knocked out of him when he slammed into the back end of the truck.

Darkwing was beginning to lose his grip with the extra weight now pulling him down. He grunted painfully, his arms feeling as if they would be pulled from their sockets. "Sheesh, lay off the Hippo Burgers, Negs!" he seethed through clenched teeth. "And let go of me!"

He tried to kick Negaduck off, but he held tight to his ankles, determined not to be permanently scarred with traction marks from the pavement. However, Negaduck did let go with one hand so he could reach into his jacket and remove a small remote. He pressed one of the buttons and within seconds, the sound of a second vehicle's engine reached their ears. Negaduck turned his head to see his motorcycle coming up fast behind the truck.

"It's been fun, Darkwing, but I have an important trip to make!" Negaduck shouted over the whipping wind. As soon as the Troublemaker was within close enough range, he let go of Darkwing and jumped onto the bike. He landed effortlessly on the seat and gave his double a smug grin and wave before making a sharp turn off of the road.

Darkwing climbed back up onto the truck and faced the direction in which his nemesis had disappeared.

"Run while you can, Negaduck!" he shouted boldly as the wind made his cape flap violently. "But you won't be able to hide from Darkwiiiiing Duck!"

The hero was too engrossed in his dramatic declaration to see another low-lying tree branch, which hit him squarely in the back.

"Ah-whoa whoa-whoa-whoa!" Darkwing yelled as he was spun around the branch like a less graceful gymnast. When he slowed to a stop, he had his arms and legs wrapped around the tree's limb. His eyes were still spinning from the momentum.

"What a lousy place for a tree…" he groaned.

***

The lights in the hallways of SHUSH began to dim, one-by-one, as the last of the late-night workers began to leave for the evening. In ten minutes, the only personnel inside would be a few security guards.

The lab was finally empty, but it would have one last visitor that evening. The sound of uneven footsteps accompanied by the clacking of a cane echoed through the empty shadowed hallway, and the loan agent came to a stop in front of the lab's door. He scanned his security badge, and the red light turned green with an approving beep. The lock clicked, and he pushed the door open.

The remain undetected, he kept the main lights off and used the subtle light seeping in through the open door to find his way. Fortunately, he knew exactly where the item he sought was located, and wasted no time in retrieving it from one of the lockers on the far side of the room. He knew the code and successfully unlocked the locker, and retrieved the item.

He examined the Transporter, cradling it delicately in his hands. This device would provide him with the tools he needed to reap his revenge.

Not wanting to draw any unwanted attention, he pocketed the Transporter and made his way out of the lab, barely spending a minute inside.

And to remain less suspicious, he opted for leaving SHUSH through the main entrance. There was only a single guard at his post, and he nodded with a smile at the departing agent.

"Have a good night, Agent Mallard."

"Likewise, Jonah," he replied in a friendly tone.

Then Jacob Mallard slid out the front door of SHUSH.

***

Jacob returned to Negaduck's cryptic hideout only minutes after the villain had returned from his own task. He stepped into the garage just as Negaduck was entrapping his helmet.

"Have any trouble?" Jacob asked him as he strutted towards him. There had been a few occasions over the past couple of hours in which he wondered if the criminal would succeed or be stopped and hauled off to prison. But since Negaduck was standing before him, he had a good inclination.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," he growled in reply, referring to his run-in with Darkwing Duck. He jumped down from the Troublemaker and fitted his red fedora back on his head. Then he reached into his jacket and removed the small box he had nearly become road kill in retrieving. "But I think this is what you are more concerned about."

Jacob's eyes lit up excitedly. He approached and eagerly reached for the box. But before his fingers could grace its smooth surface, Negaduck pulled it away. Jacob blinked, taken aback.

"Come now, boy. Hand it over," he said and outstretched a hand expectantly.

But Negaduck narrowed his cold blue eyes. "Ha. Yeah, right. I didn't get to being Public Enemy 1 by making stupid decisions."

Jacob arched a brow. "The last I checked, you were 2."

Negaduck clenched his teeth together and growled loudly. "Give me the Transporter or I shove this thing down your throat."

With a shrug, the agent produced the Transporter from his coat and handed it to him. Negaduck angrily snatched it from his hands, his last comment still making his blood boil. He opened the box and removed the item he had stolen from the SHUSH truck, which was shaped like the magazine to an automatic pistol and fit into the Transporter in the same way. Negaduck shoved the piece into place and after a quick examination of the device, he deduced its operation. He pressed a couple of buttons and turned a dial. The device began to hum quietly, and a red bar began to turn green as its power fully charged.

Negaduck raised the Transporter in one hand, aiming it at the nearby wall. When he pulled the trigger, a green beam shot out and struck the wall. A small portal formed there, and slowly began to grow into a swirling vortex the size of a door.

Both mallards looked on with a sense of awe. But it was Negaduck whose eyes bore the most excitement. A wide grin spread across his face.

"Beware, Saint Canard…" he rumbled deviously. "I'm coming home…."


	7. Return to the Negaverse

**Author's Note: ** OH MY GOSH, AN UPDATE!? Wow, so umm….Where have I been? Living life, which has been great! Between work, friends, the boyfriend, and hobbies (half marathons/races, fencing, etc.), I haven't had much free time. And to be honest, I've kinda forgotten about writing. But since I've been sick, I've had some free time, and thought I'd revisit this fic. I had started chapter 7 over a year ago, so here it is (finally).

The majority of this chapter came directly from an RPG with the very talented DarkwingPsycho, who deserves half of the credit for this story. Check out some of her fics!

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Darkwing Duck, Negaduck, Launchpad, Gryzlikoff, and Gosalyn are all ©Disney and are used without permission and for non-profit. Jacob Mallard is ©DarkwingPsycho. Jake Mallard is ©Me.

**Chapter 7**

A descending wail echoed through the bright, post-dawn sky as a flailing figure plummeted downward through the air. The old mallard dropped from the sky and landed on a bed of soft grass outside of the old asylum. Soft grass or not, it was still a brutal fall, and he could feel the merciless throbbing in his left leg. Jacob groaned and used his cane to shakily climb to his feet. It took him a moment to regain himself and recall that he had followed Negaduck through the portal to the Negaverse-the malevolent mallard's playground. His hometown known to be a wasteland of destruction.

But Jacob found himself having to squint his eyes from the bright light bearing down on him. He shaded his eyes with his hand and looked around him, taking in the surroundings. The old asylum was still standing before him, but it was no longer the decrepit, eerie building with the decaying foundation he had been in just moments before. It bore fresh white paint, was surrounded by large trees with flourishing green leaves, and sat atop the hill of lush green grass. The sign on the front lawn read in ornate lettering 'SAINT CANARD CHILDREN'S LIBRARY.'

Jacob blinked in surprise. Surely this couldn't be the right place. Something must have gone wrong. Then he remembered Negaduck. He had gone through the portal before him. He looked around for the villain….

"NOOOOO!"

Jacob jumped, startled. He spun around to see the masked mallard on his knees, beating his balled fists ferociously on the ground.

"NO! NO NO NO NO NO!" Negaduck roared in anguish toward the sky. "This isn't right!" He jumped to his feet and staggered around in a circle, taking in the sight around him once more. Everything was green and CLEAN. There was no smog blocking out the rising sun's rays. The city's brilliant skyline was outlined against the yellow and orange morning sky. He raised his hands, which began to tremble. Negaduck looked around anxiously. "I….I need to kill something….! Where's a puppy when I need one?!"

He suddenly felt something tugging at his cape. Negaduck looked down to see a little girl in a troop uniform smiling brightly up him while holding a clipboard.

"Good morning, sir! I'm recruiting new members for our Lots of Love Mailing List! And if you sign up today, you'll receive a free issue of Open Your Heart Magazine!"

The villain's entire body suddenly trembled and his eyes flashed a bright red. Negaduck let out an animalistic scream and snarled at the little girl, who let out a frightened scream of her own and scampered away. He huffed and puffed there for a moment before storming over to a nearby tree. Jacob watched with a raised brow as Negaduck began to bang his head repeatedly against the thick trunk.

"This. *BANG* Can't. *BANG* Be. *BANG* Happening. *BANG."

"Get a hold of yourself," Jacob cut in as he approached him, but did not make a move to stop him. "I knew about counterparts and how they are opposite of those in the Normalverse, but I didn't realize the entire place would be so...different. Isn't the Negaverse supposed to be dilapidated and crime-ridden? What happened to it?"

Negaduck ceased his self-infliction and lifted his head in realization when the answer came to him. His eyes narrowed hatefully. "That Darkwing Dunce happened to it! Him and the sap-squad, the 'Friendly Four'!" he answered with sarcastic enthusiasm at the mention of the Fearsome Five's counterparts. He made a face and shuddered in disgust. "When I get my hands on those knobs, I'm gonna...!" With an angry snarl, he banged his fists into the tree, the force behind his rage causing the wood to crack and splinter.

Watching the younger mallard seethe proved to be entertaining to Jacob, and he tried to hide his smirk. "Calm down. Surely not *everything* has changed for the better in this little domain of yours. Let us go see what the damage is…or, rather, isn't."

Not an hour later, the two mallards had entered what would have been the Bad Part of Town in the other universe. But all of the buildings were pristine which clean windows that weren't even cracked. Fortunately for the Lord of the Negaverse, it was still early, and the bustle of the city had yet to get underway. It wouldn't be long before news of his return would hit the airwaves and cause a panic.

Negaduck stormed through the saloon-style doors of what was known as The Old Haunt in the Normalverse. He looked around with a dissatisfied scowl, taking in the setting. He walked further inside and stopped. The tables and chairs were perfectly arranged. The dartboard had been replaced with a fireplace. He ran his finger across wood-top bar, which was shiny and spotless.

With a low rumble rising in his throat, Negaduck let it out in a frustrated growl as he grabbed a chair and hurled it across the room.

Jacob stepped inside and ducked just in time as the chair sailed over his head and shattered a mirror on the wall. He looked at the enraged public enemy. "That's seven years bad luck, you know." Wandering further into the bar, alert for anymore flying objects, he took in the surroundings. Everything was clean and orderly, like the rest of the city. What caught his attention was a large, familiar portrait hanging on the wall above the bar. Back in his own Saint Canard, Jacob was familiar with his portrait bearing down on the criminals of the city within the Old Haunt. But rather than his cavalier smile and cunning black eyes staring at them now, he was faced with the dark malevolent scowl and icy green irises of Jake Mallard. It made him sick to his stomach to wonder of his double's reputation in the Negaverse.

"How long have you been away from this 'realm' of yours?" Jacob asked.

Still seething, Negaduck answered, "Not even a year. But I assure you it will take a hell of a lot less time to turn this place back to the way I like it!"

Then a sound reached Jacob's sharp ears. The faint sound of approaching voices.

"Shh! I hear voices..." Jacob hissed, snatching Negaduck by the edge of his cape and yanking him over the bar. Peering cautiously over the countertop, Jacob spied four figures swaggering into the Haunt. One was a rat dressed in a yellow jumpsuit with a battery strapped to his back. A ridiculously dressed jester bounded in behind him on a pogo stick, while close behind him were two mutations-a half plant, half duck and what appeared to be a canine made completely out of water.

"I take it those are the four you were talking about?" he whispered and pointed discreetly.

Negaduck removed his fedora and carefully lifted his head to peer around the corner of the bar. His dark blue eyes flashed angrily when he recognized the four do-gooders. "Those moronic little..." he began to mutter.

"There's no one here!" a scratchy voice exclaimed. The voice belong to Megavolt, the electrical super-powered rodent. With him were three others; the four of them making up the clan known in this St. Canard as The Friendly Four.

"Four out of five surveyed agree that this place is emptier than a poor man's pockets!" the Liquidator chimed in cheerily.

Megavolt stepped forward and looked around again. "That girl scout said there was a duck in a black mask and cape in here who seemed to be insane."

There was a long pause. The four looked from one to another. "You don't think HE'S back, do you?" Megavolt asked them timidly.

"I hope not! I just put the finishing touches on the arboretum! W-what if he IS back? My trees are done for!" cried Bushroot as he clung to Megavolt.

"There's nothing to worry about, Scout," Quackerjack chimed in in Mr. Banana Brain's voice as he held the doll out toward the other three. "Darkwing Duck made sure he couldn't get back here and mess up our nice new playground!"

As the four conversed, an idea quickly formed in Jacob's mind. His eyes flickered momentarily before he stood up from behind the bar and walked casually toward them, leaving a dumbfounded Negaduck hiding behind the bar. "Hello, gentlemen."

Four heads turned. "D'AH!" they yelled in unison, Bushroot leaping into Liquidator's arms.

"Sorry to have startled you. My name is Agent Mallard, and I'm with F.O.W.L. Would any of you gentlemen be willing to give me some information?"

"Oh! You're with FOWL? We didn't think there were many agents of the Friendly Organization for World Love still around!" Megavolt exclaimed and stepped forward to excitedly shake Jacob's hand. None of them seemed to recognize the mallard standing before them. "We're The Friendly Four! Guardians of this city!"

The Four struck a dramatic, but rather cheesy, pose. Negaduck groaned and shook his head from his hiding place behind the bar.

"What can we do for you, Agent?" Megavolt asked.

"Actually, I was wondering if you all had much information on how I might best be able to breach SHUSH security. My colleague and I would be most grateful." Jacob needed to get into SHUSH, and he hoped that these vigilantes would provide the means to do so.

"S-SHUSH? You want to get into SHUSH?" Megavolt asked with dramatic gasp.

"Statistics show that NO ONE but SHUSH agents get into SHUSH headquarters!" Liquidator added.

"Is that so?" Jacob asked with feigned curiosity, then pointed over his shoulder. "Well then, I suggest you take a good look at the portrait hanging on the wall."

The four pairs of eyes followed the direction in which he was pointing. Their gazes shifted from the portrait, to Jacob, to the portrait, back to Jacob-who had mirrored the evil glower flawlessly.

There was a few seconds of confused silence before they erupted into an alarmed cry as the realization hit them.

"It's Jake Mallard!" Bushroot shouted fearfully, causing the purple petals on his head to tremble.

"I told you he'd be back, Jack!" Mr. Banana Brain sang with the help of Quackerjack.

Then a low growly voice joined in. "And he's not the only one who's back…."

A familiar revving sound reached their ears that struck fear into anyone who had been faced with the masked villain. The revving evolved into the roaring of a chainsaw, and when the Friendly Four looked behind Jacob, they saw the short figure of the Negaverse's ruler standing atop the bar with his weapon of choice poised menacingly above his head.

"AAHHH! It's Negaduck!" Megavolt cried as he clung fearfully to Megavolt.

"Four out of five agricultural engineers say it's time for us to make like a tree and leave!" Liquidator announced. The other three nodded in agreement and scrambled out of the building, tripping over one another in their haste.

Negaduck scoffed in disgust as he silenced the chainsaw and tossed it aside. "Knobs." He hopped down from the bar and looked at Jacob questionably. "You need to get into SHUSH? What for?"

"Files. Information. Anything I can get on your father over here I can use against him in our dimension. Director Hooter will be delighted to find that his top agent is really a spy for the other side..." He answered with a cruel grin.

But Negaduck look less than interested. He had other things on his mind. "Oh yeah? Well, you're on your own there, old man. Since the Fumbling Four know of my return, it won't be long before the news will spread throughout the city. Besides, I have some 'renovating' to do, if you catch my drift."

"Very well. Meet me back at the asylum in an hour."

Negaduck raised a brow and then laughed. "Ha! You have a little too much faith in me, pal. What makes you think I'm gonna be there for you when you're finished with your little 'mission'?"

But Jacob simply replied with a knowing smirk and held up an item in his hand. It was the Transporter. Negaduck's jaw dropped and he instantly searched his jacket.

"How'd you get that?"

"You're not the only one with fast hands, boy," Jacob answered smugly and proceeding to separate the device into its two pieces, one of which he tossed to the villain. "Now you *have* to come back if you want to make it back, as do I. Let's not continued to test one another's cunning and wit and focus on the goal we ultimately both have, shall we?"

Negaduck only grumbled in protest as he caught his piece of the Transporter and tucked it away into his jacket. He turned and stormed away in the opposite direction, while Jacob calmly made his way toward downtown.

Half an hour later, Jacob found himself in an alleyway across the street from SHUSH Headquarters. The structure looked identical to the one he knew so well back in his own universe. But he knew better than to assume it operated in the same manner. This was a fortress of evil.

Jacob raised an eyebrow as he eyed the lone guard at the checkpoint. Fortunately, the changes the Negaverse has endured brought SHUSH's security to a minimum. And Jacob was confident that he would be able to walk right through the front door. For once, his physical likeness to his most hated enemy would come in handy. He took a moment to gain the right composure. Jacob set his cane against the alley wall and stood up straight. Walking in such an arrogant manner would prove to be difficult, albeit painful, given his wounded leg, but it would be a small price to pay for his vengeance. Finally, he narrowed his eyes into his double's hateful scowl. Jacob took a deep breath, and marched directly for the entrance gate.

The single guard on duty, not used to seeing many people approach SHUSH, had to do a double-take as the mallard walk right past him.

"Halt!"

Jacob didn't halt.

"I said 'halt'!" the guard shouted again, this time standing in Jacob's way. "I'm going to need to see some identification."

"Identification?" Jacob scowled impatiently in a voice more gravelly than his own. "I didn't come all the way back here to be bothered with ridiculous procedures."

"I still need to see some-"

"Do you know who I am, soldier?" Jacob interrupted darkly.

"Er...uh..." The guard grew nervous under Jacob's suddenly severe gaze. Then his eyes widened as he remembered seeing his photo in one of the SHUSH textbooks for recruits. "Agent Mallard!" he gasped, his mouth falling open. "I-it's an honor, sir! I thought you had left SHUSH!"

"I was merely on a temporary duty assignment. But nevermind that," Jacob snapped. "Just get out of my way."

"Yessir!" With that, the soldier dodged out of Jacob's way almost fearfully and stood at attention until Jacob had disappeared inside of the building.

Jacob walked down the hallways confidently, catching many an eye as he passed. The layout of the building was exactly the same of that of the Normalverse SHUSH; the only differences outwardly were the uniforms agents wore and instead of inspirational posters on the wall there were messages of destruction and strict obedience to the organization.

All of a sudden, a lumbering figure rounded the corner and slammed into him, nearly toppling him over. Planting his cane at just the right angle, Jacob barely managed to keep his balance.

"Watch where you're going, agent," he snarled, glowering up at the towering figure.

"Oh, I am begging your pardon, sir," a meek tenor voice replied apologetically.

Jacob had to keep his eyes from bulging out of their sockets when he recognized the fuzzy, hardset face. Gryzlikoff. One glance at the bear's badge told him that in this verse, he was still chief agent - which made sense because Jake was not there to have taken over the position.

"Forget about it," Jacob muttered, sidling around the Russian and knocking firmly twice on a door that read: Director J. Gander Hooter.

His eyes darted about the room and he heaved a small sigh of relief when he found it empty. That was one less person he had to keep up his facade with. It was driving him crazy to have to act like his arch rival - the person he hated more than anything in the world.

His eyes lit up when they fell on the director's dark, grimy file cabinets. There he would find files dating back before computers took over the paperwork - files containing the information he needed to fill in the holes of Jake's life. If he was to bring about the downfall of his enemy, he needed to know every single detail about him to find the absolute best way possible to break him.

He grinned cruelly to himself and pulled back the top drawer.

But after several minutes of intensive searching, Jacob had come up empty handed. There was absolutely no useful information within the Director's office, and he was running out of time. He did manage to find Jake Mallard's personnel file, but it contained only the bare minimum of his nemesis. The status stamped in red on the front page of the file that contained Jake's photo read 'MIA.' Jacob quickly scanned through the rest of the file, searching for anything that would be of use. Then his eyes focused on an address. An older address from his earlier years, possibly before he had become an agent of evil.

Jacob quickly wrote down the address on a notepad and ripped the page free. He tucked it away in his jacket, replaced the file, and made sure he placed everything back in its rightful place before making his leave out of the office. It wouldn't be long before word of his presence of SHUSH would spread, so Jacob made a quick exit through a back entry.

As Jacob made his way back to the meeting place, a low rumbling in the sky caught his attention. He looked up to see dark, swirling clouds in the sky that were laced with smog. Electrical crackling accompanied lightning that lit up the once clear evening. He could already feel the pollution seeping into his lungs, and he couldn't help but smirk.

"The boy works fast."

When he approached the meeting place, the masked mallard was taking his chainsaw to the trunk of an old elm. It toppled over and hit the ground with a crash. Negaduck chuckled to himself with a devious grin, which faded into an annoyed frown when he turned around and saw the older mallard coming closer.

"You're late, old-timer."

Jacob offered an insincere apology. "My apologies, although I'm sure you would have found *some* way to occupy your time." He reached into his jacket and produced the small piece of paper with the address, handing it to Negaduck. "Can you take me to this address?"

Negaduck snatched the paper from him and read over the address. His scowl fell as a look of unsure hesitation. There was obviously something about his request that he did not like.

"Is there a problem?" Jacob asked, noticing his expression.

The villain looked up at him. All it took was a blink of his eyes for the scowl to return. "No," he answered firmly. Negaduck marched past Jacob in the direction of Saint Canard's upper-class suburbs, Jacob tilted his head curiously in response to his behavior, then followed.

The two mallards continued through the now dark city streets of Saint Canard. Negaduck seemed to know exactly where he was going, as if he took this route every day. In a different time, he had.

Jacob had to walk a little faster than normal to keep pace with the criminal, his cane a flurry of black. "How long has it been?" he asked as they drew closer, meaning the time since Negaduck had left the house.

"Twenty years, give or take a few months. I stopped keeping track a while ago," Negaduck finally spoke with a gruff voice. The streets were deserted by that time, its citizens taking refuge inside their homes due to the sudden change of the city. "I spent less than half of my adolescence there."

Ironically, as he said this, they passed by an old brick building surrounded by a chainlink fence off of the sidewalk. Negaduck stopped and stared blankly at the building. He stepped towards it and grasped the fence with his fingers as he looked inside at the concrete yard. Some old playground equipment, a small basketball court, a soccer net. The building was run-down and had long been abandoned, but it was one of the very few in the city that Negaduck hadn't released his wrath upon. The metal overhang of the fence had the title carved: 'St. Canard Orphanage.' It was the first prison Negaduck experienced.

"Negaduck?" Jacob said as he looked over the villain's shoulder at the building, looking it over curiously. What was it about the orphanage that had the crime lord so captivated? Had he, in fact, been an orphan? So many questions, but Jacob knew that prying would only make the criminal hostile. Besides, he figured he would find out on his own, in time. "Shall we continue...?"

Negaduck turned his head and blinked to acknowledge Jacob's presence. He had almost forgotten he was even there. Giving the orphanage one last look with a sneer, he nodded and continued to lead Jacob in the direction of what used to be the upper-class suburbs.

"What made YOU leave?" Negaduck finally asked while keeping his gaze averted from Jacob's. His tone was bitter but curious. Since Jake had abandoned him at a young age, he only assumed that Jacob did something similar to Darkwing, thus encouraging his nemesis to become a crime fighter. He remembered him mentioning that Jake had something to do with 'ruining his family,' but now he was curious as to the longer version of the story.

Jacob stifled the grunt in his throat. He wasn't too keen on sharing nay personal information with the public enemy, if if they were working together. "Why so curious?"

Negaduck scoffed as they entered the upper-class suburb. "You seem to already know more than enough about me. I figure I at least deserve to know what eventually brought you to the doorstep of my hideout."

"You deserve nothing," Jacob snapped back. Regardless, he continued. "There's nothing to tell," Jacob said shortly, tightening his grip on the handle of his cane. "I was sent on a false mission, was ambushed, then left for dead. So I let everyone believe I was dead." Jacob was reluctant to give the full details of his past to just anyone, especially someone he knew could later use the information against him.

And Negaduck left it at that. He knew he would probably find out more in due time. Setting up a false mission and assassinating someone sounds like something Jake would do. At least he knew that Jacob's disappearance wasn't due to insanity.

They entered a neighborhood which at one point used to be a beautiful location of the city. Many of the houses were dim and suffering termite damage. The front lawns were brown, long deserted and left uncared for. The street's pavement was cracked and dotted with potholes.

One house seemed to stand out from all the others. Although the years had taken its toll, it was vast and elegant. At one time, the paint was a brilliant white and matched the picket fence surrounding the large front yard. When it was in its prime, it was anyone's dream home. But now, to Negaduck, it was a haunted house of disturbing memories.

Their pace became slower as they approached. For a moment, Negaduck was having second thoughts. He knew he didn't want to be here. He'd much rather be causing wanton destruction elsewhere. But the villain wasn't going to back out now, especially with Jacob witnessing. He  
had a reputation to keep up. And Negaduck knew Jacob's intentions for visiting the house. They both want to ruin Jake and this was the perfect place to start.

Negaduck walked up the driveway to the opening in the fence. His webbed feet crunched over the dead grass as he approached the front door. The decorative windows at the top of the door were covered with dirt and grime. The wood of the door itself was cracked and the paint peeling off. A few feeble boards were nailed across the door with the words 'NO TRESPASSING' painted across them. With a sneer, Negaduck took a few steps back before lunging forward with his right shoulder leading. The rotten wood easily gave way from the force and the door flew open, disturbing years of dust into the air. He coughed and waved his hand in front of his face.

"Sorry about the lousy housekeeping," Negaduck sneered sarcastically before stepping inside. The instant his foot came down on the dusty, hardwood floor, a flash blinded him. Images flashed one after another in his mind. He saw Jake coming in through that front door and a young child no older than the age of four running forward to greet him. The child tripped and slid across the hard floor, coming to a stop at Jake's feet. His father chuckled and set his briefcase aside so he could crouch down and comfortingly lift him up in his arms. A beautiful young woman appeared from an adjoining room to join the duo, giving each a gentle kiss on the cheek. Then, a different image. One of Jake grabbing his jacket and keys in a huff. There was indiscernible shouting from him and a woman's voice before he stormed out of the door and slammed it shut behind him.

Negaduck blinked and was back in reality. He gave his head a violent shake before continuing inside. "What, exactly, is it you hope to find in here?" he asked Jacob impatiently.

Jacob regarded Negaduck quietly for a moment, knowing that some sort of reverie had passed through his mind.

"Everything," Jacob replied quietly. He stepped in just past Negaduck and smirked sardonically. "I don't suppose this is the part where you give me a tour...?"

"Right..." Negaduck muttered and stepped further inside. Dust bunnies glided across the wooden floor with each step. The furniture was also covered with dust along with a grand piano in the corner. A lamp was laying on the floor, a white circle drawn around it in chalk. Even a small stack of unopened mail was left on one of the marble tables.

With a scoff, Negaduck continued on towards the direction of the kitchen. As he got nearer, dark red stains became visible on the floor. The doorway of the kitchen was marked off with yellow police tape. He narrowed his eyes before ripping the tape from his path and crumpled it in his hands before tossing it over his shoulder.

More dried bloodstains littered the kitchen floor. One of the kitchen chairs was on its side with strips of duct tape entwined around it. As Negaduck stepped into the kitchen, he walked across a chalk outline of a woman.

Negaduck moved to the chair and circled it once. He stared down at it and paused before sneering and leaning down to pick it up. But when his hand wrapped around it and he set it upright, another flashback occurred. An eight year old boy was being yanked by his arm across the kitchen and was forcefully placed in the chair against his own will. Jake removed a role of gray duct tape and began strapping the squirming, pleading child to the chair but left his bill free so that he could scream and cry. Then Jake glared dangerously at him before retreating to a fallen woman behind him who was screaming for him to leave her son alone. The boy wailed pleadingly as Jake grabbed his mother by the hair and yanked her to her feet...

Negaduck gasped sharply. Looking down at the chair, his hand instantly pulled back. He snapped his head to the left and then to the right. Present time. His hands came up and patted his face to make sure he wasn't dreaming before rubbing his eyes and shaking his head.

Jacob watched Negaduck silently again with his characteristicly introspective face before he spoke just above a whisper, his tone serious yet gentle.

"What did he do to you, Negaduck?"

The question resonated in the villain's head and burned like an intense fire. It was echoing and painful. He had never disclosed to anyone what had happened to him in the past, but being back in the environment where it had all happened was overwhelming.

He lifted his cold gaze to Jacob, his face twisted in anger and regret. "What do you think!?"

Negaduck began to pace slowly around the kitchen, taking in the memories as he spoke in a deep, hateful tone. "He ruined my life and took everything away from me. Any hopes and dreams I had were shattered by him!" he raged and spun around to face Jacob again.

"I could have been everything that my do-gooder double is! I wouldn't have to be constantly running from the cops and destroying other peoples' lives to get some sense of closure for what happened to me! But nooooo! My 'father' beat every last shard of innocence and virtue out of an eight year old and replaced it with spite, anger, and hatred! You think I wanted to end up being Public Enemy Number One back then?" Negaduck snarled as he picked up the chair and hurled it across the room. It hit the wall and shattered into several pieces on impact.

Jacob remained unperturbed but determined to find out more.

"And your mother?" he ventured, eyeing the blood stains on the floor.

Negaduck's shoulders were heaving with each angry breath he took. He let out a scoff and motioned to the faded chalk outline on the floor. "Jake made sure I had a front row seat as he mercilessly beat her to death. Then he gave me the same 'privileged experience' and I nearly met the same fate."

"I see..." Then Jacob's demeanor changed and his expression masked any sympathetic emotion that may have revealed itself earlier. "Where might your father have kept his personal files?"

"Upstairs. In his 'personal office,'" Negaduck answered grudgingly. He stormed forward past Jacob and around the corner to the staircase leading to the second floor. His hand caught cobwebs along the banister and he made a disgusted face before shaking them off and continuing. At the top of the stairs on the right was another living area overlooking the bottom floor. On the left was a hallway. Negaduck turned left and walked down the hall to the last door on the right. Taking a hold of the doorknob, he pushed it open to reveal the luxurious, and still organized, office.

"There it is. Have a blast," Negaduck said to Jacob, outstretching his arm inside.

Jacob glanced around the office almost hungrily. "I intend to," he replied, swiftly making his way inside and immediately pulling open the dusty file cabinets. It didn't take long for Jake's meticulously organized office to become a disaster area as Jacob rummaged through everything.

Negaduck scoffed with a raised eyebrow as Jacob began to tear through the office like a cyclone. He rolled his eyes and turned away, deciding to leave Jacob to his mission. He moved down the hallway, and paused by a door that was slightly ajar. Negaduck clenched his bill defiantly, but regardless, he pushed open the door. One step inside was all he took until he froze. His stoic expression took in the sight in front of him, his eyes scanning from one side of the room to the other. It was a young child's room. The bed was not made, unfinished homework was still strewn about on the small desk. Everything was how he left it when he was whisked away to the hospital by the police.

A nauseating feeling overcame him, and Negaduck suddenly felt as if he would vomit. The setting was making him feel sick. He turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

He retreated down the hallway and the stairs to the living room downstairs. Blankly, he strode about the room, taking in every familiar detail. All of the pictures hanging on the wall and sitting on the shelves were covered with a layer of dust and cobwebs. He picked up one of the pictures from the shelf and ran his thumb over the glass to wipe away the years of dust to reveal a black and white photo of a young newlywed couple. Jake and Abigail. He sneered and tossed it over his shoulder.

Then something else caught Negaduck's attention. The grand piano in the corner of the room, covered with a large white sheet. He curiously crossed the room to the piano. Hesitating at first, he finally grabbed a hold of the sheet and pulled it off, revealing the black piano. Its brilliant shine was like new and he ran his hand across its smooth top.

Negaduck stepped to the front of the piano and sat down on the black bench. The white and black ivory keys were perfect and he brought his finger down on the C key. The note was perfectly in tune and rang through Negaduck's ear, causing another memory to playback in his head. A five-year old Drake Mallard was sitting in the same spot with his mother leaning over his shoulder. She was voicing instructions and occasionally placing her hands on his to guide them over the keys. He remembered sitting there with her for hours...

Shaking his head, Negaduck cleared his mind. He looked down to see his hands instinctively poised over the keys. Inhaling, he pulled his hands back. His bill curled into a resentful sneer. But something else seemed to take control of him right then. After a short moment, his hands were over the keys and he began striking the notes for Bach's Little Fugue in G Minor. Even after twenty-five years, the music was still chiseled in his memory. His eyes narrowed in concentration as his fingers instinctively struck every key in perfect timing. Soon, his eyes closed and the notes began to fluctuate in timed intensity.

Inside of Jake's study, Jacob was finishing up his research when a sudden burst of music jolted him out of his frenzied state. Raising an eyebrow, he silently moved out of the office to peer over the banister and watched Negaduck play.

The music swelled around him hauntingly, seeming to reach through his chest and nudge at the inner core of his heart. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, letting the melody carry him away and forget about his anger, forget about his pain, forget about his thirst for revenge. And remember happier times. Happier times with his family. With Gail. It was the closest to heaven he would ever get.

Jacob opened his eyes, reluctantly coming back from his reverie. There were tears in the corner of his eyes. He hastily wiped them away and then silently descended the staircase. He silently came up behind Negaduck, who was still playing, and did not notice his presence.

"Not bad, boy."

Startled, Negaduck's eyes shot open and his hands slammed down on the keys, striking a painfully loud and off-key combination of notes. He looked over his shoulder with an annoyed glower. "Do you mind?!"

"I'm finished here," Jacob said, holding up a handful of documents he had gathered from Jake's office.

Negaduck spun around on the piano bench and folded his arms across his chest. "Find anything of interest? Or did you just waste my time?"

"A few things here and there," Jacob commented offhandedly, as if nothing had pierced his cleverly constructed conscious earlier.

Briefly he picked up a framed photo and looked it over before he had to put it down. Jake's wife looked so much like his own, and the similarities between the younger Negaduck and his own son...

"What was he like? Before the murder, I mean," Jacob questioned quietly, his vacant eyes seeming to stare through the cluttered files spread before him.

"Not like he is now," the villain replied, his voice dripping with hate. "He actually *cared* back then, and resembled what one would call the ideal family man. He'd play ball with me, help me with my homework. He loved my mother. Everything was….perfect."

Jacob felt a pang of guilt and envy. He had never been the "ideal father", and he knew it. He'd never been home long enough to really love his family with the devotion they deserved. And they had been taken away from him too soon for him to learn that lesson. He had taken them for granted, and it made him furious to learn that Jake had at one time been better at playing the family man than he had.

He gnashed his teeth together. Even if he had learned too late that he should have stayed at home more, the point was that it wasn't too late to avenge what he'd lost.

"What made him change?"

A low snarl escaped Negaduck's throat. He rose to his feet and went to an ornate bookshelf on the far side of the room which had several drawers. He flung open one of the drawers and threw various pieces of papers and booklets into the air until he found a folder. Negaduck brought the folder over to Jacob and flung it down onto the top of the piano. The folder contained a timeline of newspaper clippings. The articles in the front featured headlines of Jake's success with his company. But as they neared the back, a front page article stood out: 'Mallard Enterprises Sold to Rival Swanson Inc.' Following that downfall headline were a few smaller articles further describing the event.

"THAT'S what made him change," Negaduck spat hatefully. "His ego was too much for even him to handle. When he lost that company, he slowly began to lose his mind. He began drinking and became more violent. I think you can figure out the rest."

Jacob remained silent as he studied each of the newspaper clippings. If Jake had saved every single article on his business, whether it were good or bad, then he obviously had an ego problem. This was no news to Jacob—it was actually something the two had in common. Their egos often led to their downfalls. His eyes wandered from the newspapers up to the masked mallard, noticing his once more stoic expression. It was obvious that the life he once had in this home was something he still hadn't come to terms with, and was having a hard time doing so. Jacob doubt Negaduck had ever even revisited his past since the mask went on and he became the public enemy.

"I heard you playing while I was upstairs," Jacob said and nodded to the piano. "Was your mother a piano teacher?"

Negaduck blinked and stared back at him as if he were baffled by his inquisition. But then his eyes narrowed into an angry scowl. He didn't like Jacob asking personal questions. He preferred to keep his past as guarded as possible; it was less painful.

"No," Negaduck replied shortly. But then he added quietly as he looked blankly around the room, keeping his gaze from Jacob's. "You ask a lot of personal questions, old man. Your past couldn't have been much different from what I've experienced."

Suddenly, the villain snapped his head around to stare directly at Jacob. His own question peaked his curiosity. Just how similar were their pasts? They both knew Jake played a major role in Jacob's downward spiral, but to what extent? Negaduck's dark blue eyes bore into Jacob's empty gaze.

"What happened to her?" The question referring to Gail was more of a demand than a question.

The old SHUSH agent blinked and faltered as he looked up at him. "What are you talking about?"

"What happened to your wife? I take it she bit the dust, too?" Negaduck repeated more specifically, not bothering to be more sensitive with his words.

Jacob ground his teeth together and he could feel his hackles rise. Now *he* was the one caught in a moment of weakness. "That's none of your business, Negaduck."

Negaduck didn't avert his pressing stare. "Oh, but it is. Do you think coming back here was a walk in the park for me? I didn't have to bring you here. I could let you hopelessly pursue your revenge for years. Answer me. You owe me that much."

Jacob didn't notice that his hands were clenched into hard fists. He believed he never owed anything to anyone, especially a criminal. But he knew that the masked mallard had a point. If he wanted to keep their alliance alive, and eventually earn the villain's trust, he would have to give in to certain demands.

He took up his cane as he spoke, gripping its handle as if to reassure himself.

"I wasn't there," he said somberly. "I didn't even know how bad she was until..." He looked down, guilt and shame on his face, but he recovered and clenched his jaw, forcing himself to hold back the emotions that haunted him. "It was suicide. She overdosed." Then Jacob suddenly grew angry, as if Negaduck had made some silent accusation. "How was I supposed to know she'd react like that?! It's not MY fault; it's HIS! HE did that to her." He took a deep, calming breath. "He took her away from me like he did my daughter. It's been fifteen years, Drake. It's payback time."

Something sparked in the back of Negaduck's mind. He hadn't been called 'Drake' in over ten years; the name didn't even register right away. 'It's payback time.' The phrase brought the fiery vengeance in him alive again.

He gathered up a few of the more informative files and made his way out of the office, limping slightly.

"Come on. We've got a lot of planning to do."

"Fine. But we're making one more stop on the way," Negaduck insisted.

The house on Avian Way wasn't in as great condition as it's Normalverse counterpart. Like most of the residences, the lawn was a pale shade of brown and the paint on the house was peeling from the wood.

"So this is the abode of the Lord of the Negaverse?" Jacob remarked in an amused tone of voice.

But Negaduck wanted to acquire a few mementos he thought could be useful in their plan against Jake. When they approached the front door, he slowly and quietly opened it, sticking his head inside to quickly scan the area. Seeing no one, he pushed the door open and quickly made his way inside. The inside of the house was a mess. Everything was disorganized, falling apart, and covered in dirt and dust. None of the lights were on.

Jacob reached out to flick on one of the light switches and suddenly a dingy glow illuminated the room.

"Just need to grab some things quick. REAL quick," Negaduck said to Jacob in a hushed and urgent tone. It was obvious he was in a hurry to leave without confronting someone in particular.

Jacob raised an eyebrow, then a loud, shrill shout startled him.

"You're HOME!"

Negduck froze in his tracks, his eyes going wide in fright. "Oh NO…" He turned to Jacob and grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket, a desperate look on his face. "HIDE ME!"

A flash of red and pink streaked across the room and suddenly a small child with flaming red curls was hugging Negaduck tightly.

"Ack!" Negaduck yelped as the momentum from Gosalyn's pounce knocked them both to the ground with her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

"I missed you so much!"

Jacob looked from the little girl to Negaduck and back again with a VERY confused expression.

Negaduck grunted as he struggled to pry his arms from the child's vice-like grip. He looked up at Jacob with an impatient, and embarrassed, glare. "Don't just stand there! Get this Cabbage-Patch Kid off of me!"

Finally, Negaduck managed to pull his arms free and staggered to his feet with Gosalyn still clinging to his ankles. He slid one foot free and then shook his other to shake Gosalyn off.

"Stop that!" he barked at her, placing his hand son his hips stubbornly.

Obediently, Gosalyn let go and smoothed out her ruffle-adorned pink dress. "How long are you staying this time?"

"No longer than I have to, that's for sure..." Negaduck muttered disgustedly as he dusted himself off.

Jacob smirked, amused by Negaduck's sheer dislike for the cute, innocent child. He lowered himself to her level with a kindly smile on his face.

"And who might this be?" he inquired.

Gosalyn turned with a little gasp, then curtseyed politely. "Gosalyn Mallard."

Jacob stiffened visibly, his eyes widening for a moment. "Mallard...?" He stood back up slowly, his gaze travelling back to Negaduck. "You have a daughter?"

"Hell no! Not purposely, anyway," Negaduck answered. When Gosalyn wasn't looking at him, he made a motion with a facial expression to Jacob, silently saying there was more to the story.

"Well, while you two play tea party," Negaduck sneered and began to make his way in the opposite direction while Gosalyn was occupied with Jacob. "I'm just gonna run upstairs real quick and...ACK!"

He grunted as he slammed into something tall and solid. When he looked up, he was staring at a large, muscular duck with a rugged appearance and orange hair tied back in a ponytail.

"'ey, Lord Negs!" Launchpad bellowed and gave his 'friend' a hearty pat on the back that nearly knocked the smaller duck on his face. "Long time, no see, eh? Where ya been?"

Negaduck pushed himself back and straightened his jacket, sneering in reply. "As far away from you goons as possible!"

Not registering the insult, Launchpad laughed. Then his eyes fell on Jacob. He squinted to scrutinize his features and, after a moment, his eyes widened. "Hey! He's dat SHUSH agent!" Launchpad reached behind his back and pulled out a large bazooka which he aimed at Jacob.

The old mallard merely folded his arms, not amused.

"Knock it off, you lumbering neanderthal!" Negaduck barked as he stepped in front of Launchpad, who instantly lowered his weapon with a gulp. "He's with me, got it? You don't get to disembowel this one! Now get upstairs and get me 'the chest'!"

"But...But he's...!" Launchpad stammered in protest, pointing at Jacob.

"NOW!" Negaduck roared, actually jumping up in the air impatiently. Launchpad obediently tossed the bazooka aside and rushed his way up the stairs.

"I'm surrounded by morons..." the villain groaned and rubbed his temples.

"Ha! Don't I know the feeling. Back when I worked for SHUSH it was hard to find ANYbody with a good head on his shoulders," Jacob said, the smirk still on his face. Then he turned his attention back to Gosalyn.

"How old are you?"

"I'm nine," she replied shyly.

"Wow, you're quite the young woman, then, aren't you? Here, I believe I happen to have something for a girl your age." That said, Jacob produced a small music box from the inside of his jacket. Where he'd gotten it or why he even HAD it no one would ever know. It was strange seeing Jacob interact with the youngster. His entire demeanor seemed to change, and he was no longer the bitter, closed-off man. He was instead very warm and open, even allowing himself a genuine smile.

"Oh wow..." Gosalyn breathed, staring at the box as if it were made of gold and precious jewels.

"I can't accept this!"

"I insist," Jacob said, closing her small hands around the music box.

"But I-!"

"Oh just take the damn thing, you ninny!" Negaduck barked impatiently. "It's a gift!"

She smiled gratefully and held the trinket against her with tenderness.

"Now why don't you go outside and play? You and your...er...father and I have to discuss a few things privately."

"Thank you so much," Gosalyn whispered. "It was a pleasure to meet you." She curtseyed again, then went traipsing off outside.

Negaduck watched Gosalyn skip joyously out of the house with his arms folded over his chest. When she was gone, he turned back to Jacob with a raised eyebrow, curious as to the way he had just been acting.

"Aww, how sweet..." he sneered sarcastically.

Jacob's hardened expression returned immediately.

"How is it that you've become the guardian of a child like that?" he asked.

"Long story," Negaduck said just as Launchpad came lumbering down the stairs with a large chest in his tree-trunk arms. His sidekick released the chest from his hold, allowing it to crash to the floor. Negaduck then cocked a thumb towards the door, ordering his lackey to make a swift exit. In seconds, Launchpad was gone.

"About a year ago I was robbing a bank. Typical routine," Negaduck began to explain. He lifted the lid off of the chest to reveal several rare, exclusive firearms and weapons. He continued his story as he began to pull out the weapons one by one, examining each one of its condition and ammo. "It was one of those heists where I was forced to end some unfortunate peoples' lives. And unfortunately for 'Pinky', it was her parents I had to take out to make my escape. They just...got in my way."

Negaduck next pulled out some sort of automatic rifle. Reaching inside the chest, he grabbed a new magazine and cocked it into the gun. "The kid was out in the car. As I was making my escape, I realized I hadn't made any worthy headlines lately. I thought taking a young innocent girl as a hostage and demanding a ransom would do my reputation some good. And that's what I did. I kidnapped her. It was later that I discovered her parents were my victims and that the plan for a ransom was moot. She didn't know I was their murderer. Hell, she didn't even know who I was!" he spat in disdain at the thought that someone didn't know the Lord of the Negaverse. "And for some insane reason, she thought *I* had saved her from the murderer who would be coming after her. She...saw me as her hero..."

A momentary silence. Negaduck gripped the rifle in his hands tightly and for that moment, the malice was gone from his eyes. But he shook his head and it returned again as he packed the gun away in his cape.

"And you never bothered to correct her," Jacob finished the unspoken thought.

Negaduck didn't answer, although he had clearly heard him.

He had to admit, he disapproved of Negaduck being so nasty to a child that looked up to him, especially when his own father had treated him so poorly. Still, he knew it was none of his business, so he kept his opinions to himself.

Instead, Jacob leaned over the open chest, admiring the hardware.

"Is this a B-27 automatic heat-seeking rifle?" he couldn't help but gush as he picked up the weapon gingerly. "I'm impressed."

Negaduck did a double take and stared at Jacob. "Yeah, it is. Exclusive to the U.S. Secret Service in the mid 1960's and very rare. I'm surprised you've heard of it," he said as he picked up a pair of handguns and replacing the clips on each.

"We have ol' Jake to thank for this. At least one thing that came out of his business is useful," Negaduck said snidely as he motioned to the Mallard Enterprises trademark on the rifle.

He waited for Jacob to take whatever caught his eye before closing the chest and heading towards the door. "Now we've got some firepower to put the plan in motion," Negaduck commented as they stepped outside.

"We have to do some actual planning before there can be a plan," Jacob pointed out. "Let's get back to Saint Canard to get our bearings, then we can talk about revenge."

Jacob walked around to the side of the house, whipping out the Transporter and entering the ID code without caring who might see them. The portal opened wide before them and Jacob stepped inside without waiting for Negaduck to follow.

Negaduck stepped towards the portal. Then he stopped and turned around to look over HIS city once more; there was no way to tell when he would be back again. Reluctantly, he turned and followed Jacob into the portal.


End file.
